The year 2001 finished on a high with 2 cracking performances at the Coal Exchange in Cardiff and at Shepherds Bush Empire in London.

Mike and the band were joined by Spear of Destiny and Pete Wylie. Mike surprised both audiences by joining SOD on stage for a rendition of 'West World' and then with Pete Wylie for 'Sinful' and 'Come Back'.

Mike and the band then ripped through a Greatest Hits Set and thrilled the crowd with an exciting climax when Glen Matlock from the Sex Pistols joined Mike on stage together with Pete Wylie, Kirk Brandon, James Stevenson, Richard Llewellyn and Steve Grantley. Mike and this all star band rocked the house with superb performances of '68 Guns', Spirit of 76 (when Mike made an emoptional tribute to Stuart Adamson of Big Country) and finally, an unforgettable 'Pretty Vacant'!!!

The MPO office will be closed over the Christmas period re-opening on January 2nd but will continue to operate as an answer-messaging facility so please leave your daytime telephone number if you have an urgent query. The Complete Coloursound Collection has been dispatched first class on December 21st.

If you have an enquiry as a result of the current North Wales press articles regarding the Gathering there are a limited number of Saturday night tickets available for Jan 12th especially for North Walian fans at a price of £13.50 plus £1 booking fee. Please contact MPO direct on the numbers below.

If your enquiry is regarding weekend Gathering tickets for the 11th and 12th of January please contact MPO urgently as there are now only limited tickets available at a price of £27 plus £1 booking fee. We will do our very best to accommodate you.

Last but not least, Mike, the band and MPO staff would like to thank you for your incredible support through the very busy year of 2001. With the new album on the horizon, a dvd release and stacks of touring ahead it looks as though the year 2002 will be another jampacked year for all of us. Thanks for travelling down that road with us.

Love and life,

MPO

Alarm Information Service
M.P.O. 21st Century Recording Company
P.O. Box 709, Prestatyn, Denbighshire, LL19 9YR,
Wales, UK
Tel: 011 44 (0)1745 571571 Fax: 011 44 (0)1745 571577
Email mpo@alarmpo.demon.co.uk
www.thealarm.com

During an emotional performance at both London's Shepherds Bush Empire and Cardiff's Coal Exchange, Mike Peters rewrote the lyrics to 'Spirit of 76' and made a moving tribute to his friend, Stuart Adamson...

Mike sang,

'My friend Stuart went away. He made some mistakes. He's now at Heaven's Gate. And now all I see is his light shining like a lover's voice on the mountainside'

Mike and the MPO were distraught to hear of Stuart's passing and their thoughts go out to Big Country fans and Stuart's friends and family, especially Bruce, Mark, Tony and Manager, Ian Grant.

Mike was honoured to tour with Big Country first in 1982 when Mike, Stuart and Bono sang 'Knocking on Heaven's Door' at Hammersmith Palais and more recently on Big Country's Final Fling Tour in 2000.

Alarm Information Service
M.P.O. 21st Century Recording Company
P.O. Box 709, Prestatyn, Denbighshire, LL19 9YR,
Wales, UK
Tel: 011 44 (0)1745 571571 Fax: 011 44 (0)1745 571577
Email mpo@alarmpo.demon.co.uk
www.thealarm.com

We have added a new archive of links to outside sources of music videos and webcasts currently available online!! Check out Mike Peters live in two different webcasts, as well as classic video from The Alarm:Rescue Me(live), Raw, Love Don't Come Easy, Unsafe Building 1990, as well as the video for Mike Peters' Shine On!

Pete Wylie (Mighty Wah!) and 'Spear of Destiny' are now confirmed as
Special Guests at :

Cardiff Coal Exchange(Tuesday 18th Dec) 02920 644996
London Shepherds Bush Empire (Weds 19 Dec) 020 7771 2000/ 020 7734 8932

Please arrive at the show early as there will be plenty of surprises in
store!!


Alarm Information Service
M.P.O. 21st Century Recording Company
P.O. Box 709, Prestatyn, Denbighshire, LL19 9YR,
Wales, UK
Tel: 011 44 (0)1745 571571 Fax: 011 44 (0)1745 571577
Email mpo@alarmpo.demon.co.uk
www.thealarm.com

Mike Peters closed a classic Storyteller Tour with a sold out show in
Leicester. Breaking new ground, Mike recounted personal stories and
recollections to capacity crowds across the UK. Sold out shows in
Sunderland, Chester, Wolves, Perth, Glasgow and Leicester listened in
silence and roared with laughter at Peters' mixture of poignant and witty
recollections.

Mike is now looking forward to strapping on his electric guitar for a change
and playing 2 electric shows with his full band in Cardiff and London this
week. Mike has promised a 'greatest hits' set to close a hectic 2001, before
he heads studio bound in the New Year to put the finishing touches to a
brand new album.


Alarm Information Service
M.P.O. 21st Century Recording Company
P.O. Box 709, Prestatyn, Denbighshire, LL19 9YR,
Wales, UK
Tel: 011 44 (0)1745 571571 Fax: 011 44 (0)1745 571577
Email mpo@alarmpo.demon.co.uk
www.thealarm.com

Read the article here:
Propeller Magazine Interview

He nicked Neil Young's hit single, taught Bono to play the accordion and shared a love
of Welsh poetry with Bob Dylan. The Alarm's Mike Peters reveals some celebrity
secrets to Penny Fray.

WHEN Mike Peters of 1980s pop band The Alarm decided to perform Neil Young's
exclusive single before its official release in 1987, he expected to make an enemy not a friend.

But the American snger was so amused by the Welsh band's cheek that he decided to
surprise them on stage with a song.

The shock of confrontation and the crowd's clamorous clapping made a lasting impression on the 41-year-old singer from Prestatyn, leading him to tell the tale in his
present Acoustic Storytelling tour.

The show includes a mixture of music and narrative as he spills the beans about the music industry's biggest names, including Bono, Bob Dylan and Freddie Mercury.

...Eager to do something different for The Alarm's 20th anniversary, Mike will be taking
audiences through a truthful history of the band and their associates. But he admits that it can be difficult to share intimate moments with strangers.

...During the early stage of their career, the support of such stars was important. Irish band U2 helped launch their career in America.

"Bono gave us our first air play in the US and turned our single, The Stand, into a hit in
1983, " he says. "Our friendship with the band goes back to December 1981, when they turned up to listen to our sound check. Then during their War tour in 1983, he beckoned me on stage and play Knockin' on Heaven's Door with him. After that, we
duetted the song many times at various Alarm and U2 concerts around the world.

"We're still great mates. Bono is a great guy who puts everything and everybody before himself. When Bono leaves this planet we'll talk about him in the way we've
talked about John Lennon and George Harrison."

(Thanks To Lee Hagan for sending this in)

Have you ever wondered what type of press releases are created for Mike Peters by outside press agencies? Find out here by reading the New Mike Peters Press Release

After flying in from a successful US Promo Tour for the latest release from 21st Century/Beyond Music: Alarm 2000 Greatest Hits Live - Mike played to a packed out show in Sunderland last night. Fresh from the US tour, Mike launched into the UK Tour with stories of a more British flavour. Mike regaled the North Eastern crowd with stories of The Alarm playing Sunderland in the early days attired in donkey jackets after a Dexys Midnight Runners experience! One of the highlights of the shows was the appearance of Baz Warne from The Stranglers who joined Mike for an acoustic rendition of 'The Deceiver'

Please note: MPO Advice:
Please arrive at the venue early. Check with each venue for time of doors opening as the DVD of London Shepherds Bush Empire is shown as soon as doors open . Mike takes the stage between 8 and 8.30pm. The show finishes at approx 11pm.

Did anybody film the infamous bus trips at the legendary Alarm 2000 Day in Rhyl this June? If so, Mike Peters would like to hear from you. This footage is needed urgently with regards to the forthcoming Gathering. If anyone can help, please can they contact MPO on numbers below asap. Many thanks!
Tel 011 44 (0) 1745 571571 Fax 011 44 (0)1745 571577
E mail mpo@alarmpo.demon.co.uk
www.thealarm.com

At the Key Club Show in L.A, on Nov. 24 (tonight) Mike Peters WILL be peforming. Some fans have reported that The Key Club was stating otherwise, but that is definitely not the case. Be sure to get there early, to not miss the show. The doors open at 7:00 PM, and the show wll start promptly at 7:30 PM. This is an unusually early start, so please be prepared.

All tickets for this show have now been sold out.

Mike and the band are looking forward to the British Tour which kicks off on
Nov 29th in Sunderland. Mike promises an jam packed greatest hits set in
Cardiff and London before hopefully previewing a taster of the new album at
the Gathering X in the New Year!!!! An MPO postcard will be hitting your
doorstep any day!

An MPO postcard has been posted out to all US MPO members. Please can
members email mpo@alarmpo.demon.co.uk once their postcards have beenreceived. MPO would like to suggest that all people check with venues for doortimes as Mike Peters will be taking the stage as early as possible
(approximate 8.30pm)

For all those people who have ordered the Complete Collection of
Coloursound, please note that Coloursound will be dispatched in late
December. Credit card accounts will only be debited at point of
dispatchment.

Beyond Music has released the first of several Alarm related products (the next will be a DVD!!!) named The Alarm (mm) Greatest Hits Live.

Check it out here: Greatest Hits Live

Alt.Strength


Coloursound Complete!



Are now available in the MPO Store!

1. US Revised Dates -

(Please note that Chicago @The Elbo Room has been cancelled and will be rescheduled for next year. Apologies for any inconvenience caused).

Nov 17
Maxwells
1039 Washington, Hoboken, NJ 07030
Tel 201 659 2461 Fax 201 792 1032


Nov 18
The Knitting Factory
74 Leonard St, New York, NY 10013, USA
Tel 212 219 3006 Fax 212 219 3401


Nov 20
Dream St
2228 Bacon St, Ocean Beach, CA 92107, USA
www.GDproductions.net


Nov 23
Coach House
33157 Camino Capistrano, San Juan Capistrano, Ca 92675, USA
Tel 949 496 8930

Nov.24
Key Club,
9039 Sunset Blvd., Hollywood, CA 90069, USA
Tel 310 786 1712 For ticket information please contact mpo@alarmpo.demon.co.uk



2. Mike has Fun in the Sun

Mike Peters is currently writing and recording a soundtrack for a BBC TV series to be broadcast next year, entitled 'Fun in the Sun'. Mike has written and recorded over 12 brand new songs. Alarm keyboard player, Mark Taylor has assisted with the addition of strings and piano. Rumour has it that some 'Seventeen' tracks are to be included as well.


3. Dead Men Walking Live at Guildford
MPO has a limited stock of Dead Men Walking CD's 'Live at Guildford' Price £14 + £1 p&p/ $20 + $5 p&p This CD has sold like hotcakes on the Dead Men Walking Tour and captures the true spirit of Dead Men Walking Live at the Famous Guildford Festival this year.

4. Alt. Strength
The moment you have all been waiting for - due to popular demand, MPO in conjunction with Mike Peters and The Alarm have agreed to release Alarm CD's from Mike Peters' personal archives. To cope with this interest, MPO has created 'The Alarm Record Collectors Club' by which interested parties are asked to contact MPO with written application to join. All members will be notified in the first instance of all future releases. To kick off proceedings, 'Alt Strength' will be available to order via www.thealarm.com from next week. Information and prices to follow shortly. If you would like to become a member of the Alarm Record Collectors Club please email mpo@alarmpo.demon.co.uk with your name, address, daytime telephone number and email address.

5. Beyond Music and 21st Century
Beyond Music and 21st Century have partnered up to release a DVD and CD to commemorate the Alarm 2000 British Tour. Street date for America has been confirmed for December 6th. British release details to follow. This is a very exciting release and is the first time Alarm songs have been captured on DVD! Beyond Music will be promoting the DVD/CD nationwide with giveaway prizes at US radio stations nationwide.

Alarm Information Service
MPO 21st Century Recording Label
P.O. Box 709 Prestatyn Denbighshire LL19 9YR Wales UK
Tel 011 44 (0) 1745 571571 Fax 011 44 (0)1745 571577
E mail mpo@alarmpo.demon.co.uk
www.thealarm.com

Mike Peters Returns to the USA!!!
In November, Mike Peters makes a welcome return to the USA. As part of
Mike's special Storyteller Tour, Mike will play 6 special concerts:

Nov.15th Chicago, ILL Elbow Room
www.elboroomchicago.com

Nov 17 Hoboken, New Jersey Maxwells
1039 Washington, Hoboken, NJ 07030
Tel 201 659 2461 Fax 201 792 1032

Nov 18 New York, New York, The Knitting Factory
74 Leonard St, New York, NY 10013, USA
Tel 212 219 3006 Fax 212 219 3401

Nov 20 San Deigo, Ca, Dream St
2228 Bacon St, Ocean Beach, CA 92107, USA
Awaiting box office information

Nov 23 San Juan Capistrano, Ca, Coach House
33157 Camino Capistrano, San Juan Capistrano, Ca 92675, USA
Tel 949 496 8930

Nov.24 Key Club, Los Angeles (150 people)
9039 Sunset Blvd., Hollywood, CA 90069, USA
Tel (for location information) 310 786 1712
Admission by application to mpo@alarmpo.demon.co.uk for this special end of tour party gig, with record comany people from Beyond Music in attendance. Please contact MPO for details. Tickets $15 Tickets extremely limited and released on a first come first served basis.

Alarm Information Service
M.P.O. 21st Century Recording Company
P.O. Box 709, Prestatyn, Denbighshire, LL19 9YR,
Wales, UK
Tel: 011 44 (0)1745 571571 Fax: 011 44 (0)1745 571577
Email mpo@alarmpo.demon.co.uk
www.thealarm.com

Just what you have all been waiting for - The Cult v The Alarm - the complete Coloursound Collection. Mr. Peters and Mr. Duffy have been in collusion recently and come up with this ultimate package for all you Alarm and Cult fans:
The Complete Coloursound Collection - Limited Edition

The Cult v The Alarm - 47 tracks inc. live 'Sanctuary', 'Strength'/Coloursound Day/Bob Rock sessions/Enhanced footage/ Original Coloursound Demos/ 7 unreleased songs!!!!!!! Sheer heaven!
As many of you will have discovered, the first Coloursound ep sold like hot cakes and is now out of print. This new collection has been created in response to incredible demand by Billy and Mike for all those Cult and Alarm fans who have shared in the early creation of Coloursound…

On November 24, Mike Peters will be performing a very special one off concert at the Key Club in Hollywood, on Sunset Boulevard. This special evening with Mike Peters will be hosted by record label 'Beyond Music' in conjunction with the 'Twenty First Century Recording Company' to celebrate the December release of a double DVD/CD live recording of Mike and Alarm 2001 Live at Shepherds Bush Empire, London.

Tickets are extremely limited and available at $15 only from www.thealarm.com or by emailing mpo@alarmpo.demon.co.uk or calling 001 44 1745 571571


Buy Now In The MPO Store

The Dead Men enthralled Welsh audiences on their short tour of the Land of our Fathers. Finishing off in Wrexham, the North Walian Alarm fans did not disappoint by chanting for 'Blaze of Glory' at the end of the DMW encores! Mike duly returned with the Dead Men in tow for an impromptu 'Blaze of Glory - My hands are held up high'...

Mike Peters has been invited to record his own radio show for BBC Radio Wales, spinning his favourite discs against the backdrop of stories from his own musical career.

You can tune in to Mike's show on November 10th (pre-recorded) between 6.30 and 8.30pm - "Hitlist on the Road"
BBC Wales 93-104 FM
882 - 657 MW
http://www.bbc.co.uk/wales/

Happy Listening!

Dead Men Not Walking in Glasgow

Just a note to forewarn anybody planning to attend the Dead Men Walking show in Glasgow, that unfortunately this show is cancelled until further notice. Apologies to all concerned. The Edinburgh show will be taking place as planned.

VH1
Catch the Dead Men on VH1 on Sat. 3rd & Sun 4th of November at the following
8 times each day: (UK)
10am - 12pm
1pm - 3pm
4pm - 6pm
7pm - 9pm

Dead Men Walking played to a packed out house in Hull at the start of their British Tour. After an exhausting Radio 2 appearance in Cardiff the night before, as well as an impromptu appearance at Pete Wylie's show at Clwb Ifor Bach and then an amusing live session on Janice Long's Radio 2 session, the Dead Men kept walking! The guys played 2 sets with a break in the middle for autographs and chat with the audience, followed by a spontaneous encore of the Ramones' 'Blitzkreig Bop' with all the Dead Men chanting together " Hey ho; Lets go!"...

MPO receives lots of interesting Alarming email on a daily basis. Here is an
article which appeared recently in a British broadsheet and makes
interesting reading...


MUSICAL EXITS
From Mr. Ian Hatton
(This letter appeared recently in a Daily British Broadsheet)
Sir, Due to my preference for a send-off with a difference, I have advised
my wife that I should like my coffin to leave the church to the backing of
'Blaze of Glory' by the 1980's rock band The Alarm (letters, August 21 and
27)
Yours faithfully,
Ian Hatton, Bath

MIKE PETERS ON THE ROAD IN DECEMBER IN THE UK!!!!!

Mike Peters Acoustic 2001

For ticket information for all the following shows please call 'Way Ahead' on 0115 912 9000

Thursday 29th Nov Sunderland The Ropery 0191 230 2500 / 0191 514 7171

Sunday 2nd Dec Leeds New Roscoe 0113 246 0778

Monday 3rd Dec Brighton or Southampton tbc

Tuesday 4th Dec Exeter The Cavern 01392 425309 / 495370

Wednesday 5th Dec Derby The Flowerpot 01332 834438

Thursday 6th Dec Wolverhampton Wulfrun Hall 01902 552121

Sunday 9th Dec Nottingham The Maze 0115 947 5650

Monday 10th Dec Chester Telfords Warehouse 01244 390090

Tuesday 11th Dec Glasgow King Tuts 0141 221 5279

Wednesday 12th Dec Perth (Glenfarg) Bein Inn 01577 830216

Thursday 13th Dec Manchester University 0161 832 1111 / 0161 275 2930

Friday 14th Dec Hebden Bridge Trades Club 01422 845265

Sunday 16th Dec Leicester The Musician 0116 2230318

Mike Peters Alarm 2001 Electric

Tuesday 18th Dec Cardiff Coal Exchange 0115 912 9000

Weds 19th Dec London Shepherds Bush Empire 0115 912 9000

Next Tuesday, Mike and Dead Men Walking appear at the Toucan Club in Cardiff as part of the Radio 2 Live Celebrations. The show is free entry. After the show at approximately midnight, Mike and the band will be appearing live on Janice Long's Radio 2 show. Please remember to contact Janice Long direct during the show janice.long@bbc.co.uk This weekend, Mike and Dead Men Walking are warming up for the UK tour in Italy.

The Dead Men Walking/Glen Matlock item goes out on 3rd & 4th Nov (twice each day). The November schedule is still not confirmed by VH1 so times can not be confirmed at this point. The DMW piece has started broadcasting from today onwards as confirmed by various fans calling in to the MPO office. Happy viewing!

The Alarm In Japan
Today, long-time Alarm fan, Yoshiko Mitsutani emailed MPO/21st Century to inform Alarm fans that Mike Peters' poppy jacket and Dave Sharp's guitar
are on display at the brand new 'Hard Rock cafe' in Osaka. The New Hard Rock Cafe opened on 13 September.


Gatherin News
GATHERING ACCOMMODATION

(MPO has secured favourable room rates starting from approx £21 per person inc. breakfast where you can 'gather' and party with other like-minded music fans, all against the backdrop of the magnificent Victorian splendour of the Llandudno bay)

Chatsworth Hotel on 01492 860788 £25

Ambassador Hotel on 01492 876886 £24- 26.75

Queens Hotel on 01492 877218 £22.75

Esplanade Hotel 01492 860300 £23.50

Trevone Hotel 01492 876314 £21

St. Georges Hotel 01492 877544 £29

North Wales Tourist Board on 01492 876413

Dot Music News

Well, the Dot Music poll has come in, and…we didn't win (of course), but we did do pretty good. We were #120 out of 2611, which is not too bad.

Click below

to see the full list. Notice the spelling mistake on the name of the site. Who can blame them, with all the spelling errors I post here! :)

Thanks to all for voting, it means a lot.
-Steve Fulton, Web Master

Mike Peters has been recently filmed and documented by a BBC Film Crew in the making of a brand new song called 'To The End'. Mike performed this song at Cardiff Castle together with Dead Men Walking, Steve Grantley, Male Voice Choir, Horn Section, and 4 piece string quartet. The programme will be aired (rescheduled from the original September date) on October Tues 9th at 7.30 pm on BBC 2 Wales.

Mike Peters and Alarm 2000 can currently be found hard at work on their brand new album at the '21st Century Recording Studios', Kinmel Hall. Featuring newfound gems like 'In the Poppy Fields', 'Free Inside', 'The Normal Rules Do Not Apply', the new album is developing against the magnificent backdrop of the Kinmel Hall, formerly know as the location of the conception of the Change album, over 10 years ago!

Please tune in to www.thealarm.com for regular bulletins and extracts from Mike Peters' daily personal diary. The progression of this album is being documented on film as well as on tape in minute detail by Mike Peters personally. Mike is extremely excited about the 'developing sound' of the new album and reports suggest that the album so far sounds laced with a terrific blend of 'Rise,' Coloursound and Led Zeppelin!

Stay tuned!

Below is an Excerpt From Mike Peters' Studio diary:

Richard "O'Mally" Jones ( Beau Locks) the first lead singer of the Toilets (1977-1978) died in Rhyl on Sept. 26th at the age of 42. The MPO is very saddened and their thoughts and prayers are with the family.

Below is a photo of Mike Peters and "Beau Locks" in The Toilets:

Dead Men Walking in Italy

As a warm up for the forthcoming UK Tour, Mike, Glen , Pete and Kirk will be telling a few stories and singing a few songs, Italian style.

For those in the UK, thinking of a romantic weekend away, return flights to Bologna can be purchased for approx £100 return.

www.go-fly.com

Ciao for now,

MPO



Friday 12 October Forli (1 hour away from Bologna)

Naima Club
Via Somalia, 2
47100 Forlì
www.ejn.it/naima
naimaclub@libero.it
Tel 0543/722728

Saturday 13 October Mezzago, Bloom (just outside Milan)

Bloom
Via Curiel 39
2050 Mezzago (MI)
www.bloomnet.org
info@bloomnet.org
039 623853-039 6082755

Mike Peters and Tune Teams

Due to the coverage of recent tragic events in the USA (Memorial Service for British victims), Mike Peters/Tune Teams, the half hour BBC programme has been rescheduled for two weeks time. Please stay in touch for further details. Apologies for any inconvenience caused.

MIKE PETERS BEGINS THE RECORDING OF BRAND NEW ALBUM
This week, Mike Peters and the band enter the studio to began the recording
sessions 'proper' for the brand new album which is scheduled for release early next year. After 'demoing' a dozen songs in his personal studio, Mike Peters now moves
location to Kinmel Hall, a stunning recording location which provided the
backdrop to the conception of The Alarm's Change album, over 10 years ago.

Please stay in touch with MPO/www.thealarm.com for news of how the new album
is progressing.

OTHER MIKE PETERS NEWS...

MIKE PETERS ON BBC
This week, Mike Peters and Dead Men Walking are featured on Tune Teams. This
half hour programme will be screened on BBC 2 Wales on Thursday 20 September
at 7.30pm. The programme documents the writing and recording of the Mike
Peters composition 'To The End' which was written for the Special Olympics.

MIKE PETERS AND THE STRANGLERS
Last weekend, Mike Peters performed a special one hour set at the Stranglers
Convention, alongside Glen Matlock and old touring partners, The Mission who played a
special warm up show for their forthcoming German Tour.

EXCITING NEW RELEASES
There are many exciting new releases scheduled over the forthcoming months
including a live Dead Men Walking album, a triple limited edition Coloursound release,
news of the Alarm Record Collectors Club and a DVD of Alarm 2000 live at Shepherds Bush Empire, London. Please stay in touch for further details.

LATEST RELEASES
In the meantime, latest releases include:
Mike Peters Collected Works , a brand new CD from the 21st Century label
MPO, covering Mike's 3 solo albums is priced 12.99 /$20 plus postage

The Alarm 2000 -2001 Second Generation Custom CD -digital recordings on a
double CD - from the British, German and US tour Priced £20 $30

THE ANNIVERSARY GATHERING
The Anniversary Gathering, the big one, Number 10 takes place on January 11
and 12 2002. Tickets are selling very well indeed. Weekend ticket price £27 + £1 Expect the best Gathering yet!!

FUTURE TOUR DATES
Next tour dates for Mike Peters is the Dead Men Walking Tour which begins a
month long tour on Friday 12th in Italy and finishing in Sheffield on Thursday 15th at the
Memorial Hall.

MIKE PETERS TOUR DATES
Mike Peters will be touring the UK extensively through the month of December
after receiving his Lifetime Achievement Award in Cardiff on November 27th


If you need further assistance or wish to place an order
please call MPO on 011 44 (0)1745 571571or email mpo@alarmpo.demon.co.uk

Thank you
Best wishes, MPO

Due to unforseen circumstances, Mike Peters will now be appearing at the
Stranglers Convention on Friday 14th September at 7pm. Apologies to everyone
concerned for any inconvenience caused. Mike Peters will be performing a one
hour acoustic set.

Mike Peters

Mike Peters and all at MPO would like to extend their deepest sympathy to
all Alarm friends who have been affected by this terrible tragedy.

Mike Peters has recently been filmed and documented by a BBC Film crew, in
the making of a brand new song called 'To The End'. Mike recorded this song
at the BBC Cardiff Studios and performed this song at Cardiff Castle,
together with 'Dead Men Walking', Steve Grantley, Gill Edwards, Male Voice
Choir, Horn Section and 4 Piece String Quartet.

You can see how it all came together by tuning into BBC 2 (Wales) on
September 20th at 7.30pm.

For all you non-Welshies, now is the time to remember to make friends with
the locals at The Gathering and ask then to set their VCR's for you!!! :))

The BBC are so excited about the programme that it is been shown as a 'one
off' with lots of trailers leading up to the broadcast and then the
programme will be repeated as part of a series of 6 programmes later in the
year, with the possiblity of the series being broadcast on a network UK
basis.

Mike Peters Has Been Chosen to receive the Lifetime Achievment Award at the 1st Welsh Record Industry Awards on Nov. 27th 2001!!!

It would be a a great idea for fans to email the WRITS
feedback@writ-awards.co.uk
to thank them for making this choice!!!

You can also visit the WRITS site here:


http://www.writ-awards.co.uk

WRITS will take-place at Cardiff Arena, Nov. 27, 2001. He will also perform at least one song.

You can pre-order tickets here http://www.writ-awards.co.uk/


For more details, please read below:
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

NORTH WALES MUSICAL STALWART IN LINE FOR A TOP AWARD

WELSH ICON: Mike Peters will receive an award for a lifetime's work in the
music industry

SERVED WITH A WRIT (And Mike Peters will accept it with pride)

By David Powell, Daily Post staff

ONE of North Wales's top musicians is in line for a lifetime achievement
award.

Frontman of The Alarm, Mike Peters, will be recognised for his contribution to the arts when he appears at the inaugural Welsh Record Industry Awards 2001 (Writs) in Cardiff in November. The Writs are the prestigious Welsh equivalent of the Brits awards, and fans will be celebrating a broad spectrum of the best in Welsh music as well as raising much-needed funds for The Dyscovery Trust - a charity that assists
children with learning difficulties such as dyspraxia.

Other performers, presenters and celebrities due to appear at the glittering
awards night at Cardiff International Arena on Tuesday, November 27, will be
named next month.

But Mike Peters said yesterday: "I hope to be performing. We have been
touring under The Alarm 2000 banner for the last year. We have a Greatest Hits live
album coming out at the end of the year and a new album, so I might be playing
something from that."

Commenting on the launch of the Writs, he said: "Contemporary Welsh music
has had a revolution of sorts over the last four or five years but the challenge
is to keep it going into the second generation."

"I know from my own experience in North Wales there are a couple of bands
emerging. They are X-ELL from Towyn and the Black Swans from Prestatyn."

"They are both at school - it just shows how young music is getting!"

Last night, Writs organiser, Peter Phillips, said: "We are delighted that
Mike's coming. We are giving him a recognition award. "We approached him because he has done a lot for the Welsh music industry in North Wales and he's still going strong. He's very big all over the world."

Mr Phillips said the back-drop to the ceremony is very exciting. "Welsh music from the Manic Street Preachers to Charlotte Church continues to dominate the British music scene and enjoys a high profile around the world. "It is now time to celebrate these achievements on an annual basis."

Unsigned and emerging bands will also gain awards to raise their profiles. Up to ten of these bands' music will be showcased on the Internet site www.writ-awards.co.uk in the run up to the November extravaganza. Judges for the Writs are currently deciding on who should be nominated for each category. They include Best Album, Best Welsh Language Act and Best Welsh Producer.

Voters can send comments to "feedback@writ-awards.co.uk"

Meanwhile, the Dyscovery Trust's Dr Amanda Kirby corrwelcomed the concert.
She said: "This is a great event and the trust is grateful to everyone who
supports the evening and helps to make children with dyspraxia have a better
life."

The Alarm - still the most internationally successful rock group ever to
come from Wales - achieved massive worldwide recognition from 1981 to 1991 with
14 Top 50 singles, seven successful albums with over five million sold worldwide.
Visit the band's official website www.thealarm.com or ring 01745 571571.

This bank holiday weekend, Mike Peters was out and about enjoying some live rock'n roll which didn't involve himself getting up on stage for once! On Friday, Mike was at the Leeds Festival with Coloursound partner and Cult guitarist, Bill Duffy, together with Ian Astbury from The Cult and Craig Adams from The Mission.

Over the weekend, Mike was in Dublin having been invited by Bono Vox to watch U2 at their homecoming concert at Slane Castle. Mike was spotted at the side of the stage with Morrisey, actor John Hurt and Def Leppard singer, Joe Elliot. Mike Peters was quick to point out to Morrisey that if Morrisey hadn't been such a good singer he might have been the bass player of The Alarm. Many years ago, Morrisey had been quoted as saying exactly that. Mike chatted with Bono before the U2 set and talked over old times.

From Dublin, Mike left for London and Brixton Academy to join Billy where The Cult were playing their own headline show. During the concert, Mike was stopped by long-term Alarm fans, Billy, the lead singer from Green Day and Scott Weiland, the singer from Stone Temple Pilots. It's amazing how many secret Alarm fans are out there, not forgetting the Manic St Preachers who Mike caught up with last Monday at their warm up concert for the Reading Festival, in venue of Gathering fame, the North Wales Conference Centre.

This week Mike is back in the studio working on a new track called 'Close' with drummer Steve Grantley. MPO Hq have been lucky enough to hear a sneaky preview of the first 6 demoed tracks and their is much excitement already over the Led Zepplin influenced 'Trafficking' , the addictive 'True Life' and the hook-laden 'Free Inside'

Please stay in touch with www.thealarm.com for future exciting information on DVD release, Coloursound release and tour dates for the rest of the year!

The sun came out for the gig of the year, and quite a few celebrities were
spotted in the vicinity of the Slane VIP area.

Supermodel Naomi Campbell was seen sashaying around while ex-fiance
Adam Clayton prepared to take the stage with U2.

Australian pop star Natalie Imbruglia also made it to the gig, rubbing
shoulders with former Northern Secretary Mo Mowlam and Irish Grand Prix driver Eddie Irvine.

Irish stars also came out for Slane 2001, including Bryan McFadden of boy
band Westlife, and pop queen Samantha Mumba, who has just finished filming Stephen
Spielberg's The Time Machine in Hollywood.

"It was a fantastic experience," she told The Irish Times. "The movie will be
released in America on Christmas Day, and in Ireland sometime next year."

She was looking forward to seeing U2: "I'm a huge fan of the band, I saw them
in LA recently and they just blew me away."

Another up-and-coming movie star, Gerry Butler, was also blown away by U2's
massive show. The Scottish actor has just finished filming Reign Of Fire in
Ireland with Matthew McConaughey and Christian Bale.

Enjoying the gig from a vantage point at the side of the stage was actor John
Hurt, who will be seen in Krapp's Last Tape at the Gate Theatre next week. "I
thought they were tremendous, very professional, especially in the light of
what's happened with Bono's father. It must have been difficult for him."

Mike Peters, leader of Welsh rock band, The Alarm, has toured with U2 many
times throughout the 1980s, but this time he was just here to add his applause.
"The last time I was at Slane Castle, they were recording The Unforgettable Fire,
just over in that room there," he recalled.

After U2 played their final encore and the last of the fireworks fizzled out,
Lord Mount Charles hosted a lavish if subdued lig inside the castle, which
was attended by the very VIPs.

This weekend, Mike Peters took time out from the studio for a bit of rockin' and rollin with Coloursound partner Billy Duffy. Mike and Billy travelled to the Leeds/Reading Festival to meet up with Ian Astbury where The Cult were performing alongside Marilyn Manson, Eminem etc.

Mike and Billy were also joined by Coloursound and Mission bassist, Craig Adams. Craig is currently working on a new Mish record with Wayne Hussey and preparing for a tour in Europe later this year.

The Cult played an amazing set and whilst watching Astbury and Duffy in action, Mike was amused to be approached by a young festival goer who excitedly enquired, "Hey, aren't you the singer from that new band, Dead Men Walking?"!!! It turns out that the young lad knew nothing of Mike's Alarm history but had seen Dead Men Walking in York.

As Mike and Ian chatted on the Cult's tour bus, Ian Astbury asked Mike if he had heard about this new band featuring Pete Wylie and Kirk Brandon. It turned out that Ian had heard all about ''Dead Men Walking' but had no idea that Mike was in fact a member. Mike filled Ian in on the 'resistance' and after The Cult's performance, Ian echoed the DMW sentiments and told Mike that it was all about the 'resistance'!

Mike and Billy discussed the next step for Coloursound. Expect news of an exciting Coloursound release next week.

From Leeds to Dublin, where Mike takes up Bono's personal invitation to visit the U2 boys at their hometown show and then back to London for The Cult's Bank Holiday Monday special at Brixton Academy.

Mike Peters' Duane Eddy For Sale

Mike Peters' famous Duane Eddy guitar as played by Brian Setzer live at Hollywood Palladium in 1984 on 'Bound for Glory'. This guitar was used to record many tracks by Mike from 'Declaration' through to 'Rise'. Mike is in the process of swapping some guitars from his extensive collection in his quest for new guitar 'sounds' for the new album which is currently in its early development stages. Mike together with guitarist, James Stevenson have been researching many new guitars on tour in the US, in London and in Wales in pursuit of new 'sounds' to develop songs like ''Free Inside", "Kaleidescope" and "Festival of Light".

Mike's Duane Eddy guitar has been valued at $3000. For more information please go to



http://cgi.ebay.com/aw-cgi/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=1456859073

'To the End' unfolded dramatically last week in the BBC Studios, Cardiff, South Wales. A glorious ballad, this song represents the spirit of the Special Olympics which took place last week in Cardiff. Mike Peters was joined by Glen Matlock, Pete Wylie and Kirk Brandon of Dead Men Walking who assisted Mike in the recording of the song during a three day session at the BBC studios in Cardiff.

This whole process came about after MPO Manager, Jules Jones, received a phone call at MPO HQ from BBC Producer, Ailsa Jenkins who initially made an enquiry for Mike to screen test for the role of Presenter in a new 6 part programme called 'Tune Teams'. Due to Mike's busy schedule it was impossible for Mike to commit and so the BBC called up the MPO a few days later to ask if Mike would take on the challenge of 'Tune Teams' instead.

" To be honest, I almost said 'No' on the spot" confessed Jules, "I mean, we were just heading back out to America for the fifth time since October and this meant Mike would land in Manchester from Chicago and be thrown straight into recording in a pressurised environment, just as he was supposed to be taking things a little easier!" By chance however, Mike had popped by the MPO office and intercepted the conversation. "I'll do it!" shouted Mike; "I've got just the song..."

.... and so 'To the End' was born. The song had been knocking around in Mike's head for a few years and he had actually played it once before 'demo style' on a BBC Radio programme produced by Mike's friend, Gary Price. " I had the idea for the song initially, after thinking it would be interesting to write something for the Rugby World Cup. When 'Tune Teams' challenged me to write a song for the Special Olympics, I thought with a bit of tinkering that this would be the perfect song for the job!" explained Mike.

Mike duly landed in Manchester Airport after a short American Tour in the Chicago area with the band and the day after he was met by a BBC crew who shadowed Mike in the studio in North Wales and documented the whole process of Mike demoing the song and introducing other people to help with the production process.

It was at this stage that director Andrew Miller realised that this was turning out to be extra special and consequently the BBC began pulling out all the stops. It was decided that Mike would record the song the following week in Cardiff and perform the song at the Special Olympics Closing Ceremony at Cardiff Castle on Friday August 3rd. At this point Mike realised that he was supposed to be playing with Dead Men Walking in Stockton. Many phone calls later it was decided that all of Dead Men Walking would join Mike in Cardiff as this was such a special occasion and the Stockton show would be deferred until the future Oct/Nov Tour. Ironically, the Stockton show of all places had sold hundreds of tickets and therefore frantic efforts were made to reschedule the show for the following week.

At this point Mike phoned up Pete Wylie and asked him to co-produce 'To the End'. Pete accepted enthusiastically and so Mike and the BBC crew set off to Pete's abode, 'Disgracelands' in Liverpool to film Mike and Pete at work. Pete sensed that this song was going to be really special and he set with gusto to write a fanfare and string arrangements for the song .

Next stop was Gill Edwards (Gill was introduced to Mike by Eddie Macdonald a couple of years ago and had magnificently scored the strings for 'Flesh and Blood'). Gill liased with Mike and Pete to score all the parts for the string quartet and french horns. Gill was based in South Wales and so this communication was made mostly by email and snatched phone calls as the project of 'To the End' unfolded.

On Wednesday, Mike , Pete, Glen Matlock, Kirk Brandon and Steve Grantley (Alarm 2001/Stiff Little Fingers) assembled at Studio 1, BBC Cardiff. Steve, Glen and Kirk hadn't even heard the song and so Steve busied himself with drum ideas and very quickly laid down a drum track that night, followed by bass from Glen and guitar by Kirk.

At this stage, Mike was joined by Josie D'arby of Top of the Pops fame who was the co-presenter of 'Tune Teams'. Josie had been present with Mike in North Wales and now here in South Wales to chart the progress of the song.

The next morning began bright and early and the recording of the song sped by remarkably fast and seemingly without hitches, layer by layer. Mike Jones was in charge of recording the song together with House Engineer, Martin Stephens. The BBC had forgotten to inform Mike thaat the control room had been ripped out and consequently a makeshift control area was set up within the Studio. Both guys worked tirelessly from early morning until late at night until the job had been done.

Mark Taylor, former pianist and keyboard player of The Alarm joined the proceedings on Thursday afternoon as did the string quartet and french horn players. There were a few last minute changes made by Gill, Pete and Mike to the string and horn arrangement whilst Mark Taylor listened to the song for the first time and masterfully created a beautiful piano part reminiscent of 'A New South Wales' which Mark had recorded in the very same studio over 10 years ago with Record Producer Tony Visconti, Mike and The Alarm

By Thursday night everybody had worked tirelessly and the whole cast of musicians, engineers, assistants, producers and onlookers were eager to hear the finished product. At 8pm the male voice choir arrived. After initial enquiries to the Morriston Orpheus Male Voice Choir (whom Mike had worked with previously on 'A New South Wales' and 'Flesh and Blood') proved fruitless due to many members being on holiday, BBC Production Manager Sue Perry did a masterful job in gathering together a group of assorted choir members who were keen to participate. Once again as with the string and horn arrangements, a few minor changes were made and after a few takes the choir parts were recorded.

About 10pm all that was left to do was for Mike to lay down his vocals. Everbody agreed that Mike's first take earlier that morning had been terrific but Mike felt that he wanted to do it for real again. Mike, who is known for recording his vocals in one take, delivered a fantastic vocal performance, hyped no doubt by the excitement of the day. Unfortunately, technical problems had ensued and it wasn't until Mike had reached the end of the song that he was informed by Mike Jones that they had been unable to capture the 'take'. This was a moment of high frustration for Mike. Not one to lose his temper easily, Mike was visibly distressed that this take had not been captured. A few moments to recover and with the Studio in complete darkness at Mike's request, Mr. M.L. Peters delivered a copycat perfect performance. All was not lost.The time was almost midnight and in the space of a very short time, a unique song had been delivered.

Friday was taken up with moving the equipment to the Castle in Cardiff and by 4pm, Mike and the boys were ready to soundcheck the song. It was fantastic to hear the song soaring out beneath the backdrop of the Castle and many an onlooker stood moved by the passion of the song. It was already clear to see that this song was capable of stopping people in their tracks.

After the soundcheck, Mike was joined by Rhodri Williams , the co-presenter of 'Tune Teams'. Rhodri, a fellow Welshman had worked with Mike before on Children in Need and is now seen presenting Sky Sports News and Animal Hospital. Rhodri was very excited by the song, so much so that he decided to join the ranks of the male voice choir for the performance.

At 7pm, it was ready to perform the song for real in front of an assembled cast of Special Olympics competitors and volunteers. The atmosphere was electrifying and Mike and Pete in particular were very moved by the response. Mike and Dead Men Walking also performed '68 Guns' and 'Come Back' followed by a second sitting of 'To the End' at which point the crowd were on their feet and spectacular fireworks were exploding out of the Castle!

The whole week had been an intense and moving experience for all. The BBC were delighted as the programme had turned out better than they could have hoped for. " Everyone was delighted and I
must say, I don't think I've worked with a more efficient and professional group of musicians..." commented BBC Tune Team producer, Andrew Miller. A champagne reception was held inside the Castle and Mike and the boys reflected on the last two whirlwind weeks which had culminated so successfully, all thanks to a host of like-minded people with positive thinking to the very end !

* Tune Teams is a programme whereby a group or individual is set a challenge to write a song for a particular occasion. Please stay in touch for news of transmission dates.

The final word on the Special Olympics came from the Godfather of Welsh
rock - The Alarm's Mike Peters - who performed his specially written anthem
To The End to close the ceremony.
And the former Alarm frontman was joined on stage by Scouse songsmith
Pete Wylie of The Mighty Wah! and ex-Sex Pistols bassist Glen Matlock.
To The End came about as part of a BBC Wales television programme Tune
Team, where teams are challenged by the public to write a song for a special
occasion.
"When Special Olympics asked us to come up with a song for the closing
ceremony we jumped at the chance, as this is exactly the sort of challenge
we are looking for," said Tune Team producer Alisa Jenkins.
"It's a real anthem of a song."
The closing ceremony also featured a parade of the 1000 Special Olympics
volunteers - including some from as far afield as Russia, Mexico, Palestine
and Slovakia - and a selection of video highlights of the week.
"The closing ceremony was a fitting end to a fantastic games," said
Trevor Gough (executive games director).
"We are grateful to the BBC and Mike Peters for writing this special
song, and I feel that it is a great tribute to the work of the Special
Olympics and the efforts of the athletes.



To The End

Through the darkness
On to morning
As the sun defeats the night
Over Rivers
Troubled waters
Down the deep and endless mile
There's a soft voice
Calling out to me
Gives me strength
To carry on
To The End
To the greater glory
To defeat or victory
No Surrender
Now or never
To The End

Through the burning
Heat of desire
A bird will fly in skies above
Cool cool water
Kills the fire
Freedom comes on wings of love
Every whisper
Every word I hear
Gives me strength
To carry on
To The End
To the greater glory
To defeat or victory
No Surrender
Now or never
To The End

Words and music by Mike Peters and Pete Wylie
Copyright 2001 copyright control.

Please note the Dead Men Walking Gig on Aug 3rd has been has been resheduled for Saturday August 11th 2001 Tel 01642 666600 for Ticket Information.

Please note that the Dead Men Walking show in Stockton on Friday August 2nd has been cancelled. Many apologies to all those who had bought tickets and were planning to attend the show. It looks likely that the show will be rescheduled for a date in the next two weeks. Please keep in touch for latest news on this.

Mike Peters and James Stevenson were spotted on Saturday night at Pete Wylie's acoustic concert at the Lomax in Liverpool, along with Spear of Destiny's Kirk Brandon and Ian Mcnabb of Icicle Works fame. In the latter part of the set, Kirk, Mike and Ian joined Pete on stage for a few electric numbers.

James Stevenson is currently in North Wales, to lay down guitar tracks on Mike's new tunes. Five songs have already been roughly demoed!

Please keep in touch with the website or MPO (01745 571571) for news of latest recording developments.

This week, Mike Peters will be in Cardiff at the BBC studios, preparing to play at the Closing Ceremony of the Special Olympics which is held every four years. This year the location is Cardiff, South Wales and Mike has been chosen to write a song especially for the occasion.

Over the last 2 weeks, in between returning from the USA and beginning his new album, Mike has been filmed closely by the BBC as he puts together the song for this very special occasion. Mike has brought in Dead Men Walking partner, Pete Wylie to co-produce the song, together with Steve Grantley on drums, DMW Glen Matlock on bass, DMW Kirk Brandon on guitar, Alarm pianist, Mark Taylor, Flesh and Blood arranger, Gill Edwards, a male voice choir, string quartet and french horns!!!

Over the next few days, the song, entitled 'To the End' will unfold. The song will be recorded at the BBC Studios (of 'A New South Wales' and 'Flesh and Blood' fame) and on Friday the whole cast above will perform the song at the closing ceremony complete with a backdrop of fireworks in Cardiff Castle!

This whole process will be broadcast as part of a series of 6 programmes called 'Tune Teams'. The BBC will notify MPO of transmission dates at a later date. In the meantime, please keep a watch out on BBC news programmes this Friday (especially Wales) as the Special Olympics has been receiving a lot of coverage already this week).

This weekend, Mike Peters begins work on a brand new album! Please keep in touch for some exciting news next week!

On Saturday, Mike and Alarm 2001 closed the Midwest Second Generation Tour
at their now 'home from home', Chicago, at the Elbo Room. Dave Sharp phoned the
concert venue to wish Mike and the boys all the best. Mike and the band
played an electrifying set for the pumped up Chicago crowd on this, Mike's
third visit to Chicago in the last four months!! Many new fans were in
attendance tonight who had heard about the show from local radio ads, all
for whom www.thealarm.com was a new discovery, so welcome to all you people
logging on for the first time this week! To top the end of tour party
atmosphere, Mike was joined by two school friends, Mike Reed and Kevin
Davies from Rhyl, North Wales! Mike dedicated Spirit of 76 to Kevin for
introducing him to the joys of David Bowie, back in the days of Greaves Records in Rhyl, when young Michael Leslie Peters was forming his early musical tastes!

Mike, the band and MPO would like to extend their thanks to everybody who
showed their support on this tour. It is always appreciated. Thanks for
being a great Alarm family and making us welcome in the good old US of A.
We'll be back!!!!

Mike Peters flew back into the UK from the US Second Generation Tour and immediately joined up with Pete Wylie and Ian Mcnabb where the trio performed three Wylie songs in Liverpool at the Albert Docks (July 24th) See photo. Playing to an audience of approx 4000 people,Wylie, Mcnabb and Peters received a fantastic response.

Upon Mike's return from the US Mid West Tour, Mike begins recording a
special one off song for the Special Olympics which will be performed at the
beginning of August at Cardiff Castle.

The BBC are making a programme about Mike as part of a series and will be
following Mike around all week as they document the conception, writing and
recording of the new song in their attempt to capture the songwriting
process.

The song will be performed by Mike Peters and friends at the Special
Olympics' Ceremony in Cardiff Castle. Dates of TV broadcast will be
announced shortly.

Mike Peters and Alarm 2001 are currently enjoying a Summer outing in the Midwest of the US. They kicked off the mini Second Generation Tour at Racine Festival Park in the state of Wisconsin and further up state at the Lifest Festival in Oshkosh...

REVIEW by Todd Huggins from Wisconsin

The Alarm 2001 played the Lifest in Oshkosh, WI. Something new for Mike and the Boys, but it didn't stop the fury and the sheer passion of the electric show. Marching On started the show, with Where Were You Hiding...,a couple of dedications on Unsafe Building and Walk Forever....Rescue Me, Spirit of 76,Strength, Mike solo on Rise, Absolute Reality, The Deceiver, Rain in the Summertime (where we felt Mike's rain as he sprayed water over the crowd), and an encore of Sixty-eight Guns. It was awesome.

Mike and the boys took the stage shortly before 11:00 p.m. The lasting memory was the announcer joining us in the crowd, singing and dancing. He announced that he was an Alarm fan in bible college, and spent too much time seeing shows in 1985; thus he failed out of school.

In concluding, the great thing about going to see Mike Peters/The Alarm 2001 is first the music, the great new Alarm fans you meet,talking with Mike after the show, and purchasing the merchandise.

Until the next time.

Todd Huggins, Wisconsin

fri 3rd stockton-upon-tees the arc 01642 666600
sat 4th tunbridge wells the forum 01892 545792
sun 5th guilford festival 01483 454159

Welcome to the latest MPO E-Newsletter, containing all the latest news on

Mike Peters and The Alarm. Read on for information regarding the recent

success of the 20th Anniversary Concerts in June, future US electric shows

in July, news of a special 'Best of Mike Peters' collection, the Second

Generation Live Custom CD collection, more Dead Men Walking concerts in

Oct/Nov and most importantly, news of new Mike Peters' material on the

horizon...

In response to the constant demand for Mike Peters' solo works, MPO is proud

to announce the release of MIKE PETERS: COLLECTED WORKS 21C021 on the 21st

Century Recording Label. Drawing from the best of Mike Peters' three solo

albums, this album is a superb collection of the finest songs from

'Breathe', 'Feel Free' and 'Rise'.

MIKE PETERS: COLLECTED WORKS 21C021

Rise

Breathe

All Is Forgiven

My Calling

No Better Than This

You Are To Me

Train A Comin

High On The Hill

Broken Silence

The Message

Gone Elvis

In Circles

Levis & Bibles

The Wasting Land

Regeneration

Ground Zero

21st Century

Burnout Syndrome

The Love We Made

Transcendental

A New Chapter

UK 12.99+1 p&p/$20+$5 p&p

JULY DATES - ALARM 2001 RETURN TO THE USA

Following on from a successful US East Coast Tour, Mike Peters and Alarm

2001 return to the States for a Summer outing. Dates are as follows...

13/07/01 RACINE, WI "SALMON A RAMA" RACINE FESTIVAL PK.

14/07/01 OSKOSH,WI "LIFEST" SUNNYVIEW FAIRGROUNDS

15/07/01 ST. PAUL, MN THE LAB 4TH ST. STATION

17/07/01 DES MOINES, IA HOUSE OF BRICKS

18/07/01 LANSING, IL J.J. KELLY'S

19/07/01 MARQUETTE, MI UP FRONT AND COMPANY

20/07/01 CLEVELAND, OH BLIND LEMONS

21/07/01 CHICAGO, ELBO ROOM

THE ALARM 20 YEARS

The June celebrations of the 20th Anniversary of The Alarm were a huge

success. Billboard reviewed the NYV show as follows:

Mike Peters plays Sellout Show in NYC: Rave Billboard review

June 25, 2001

Mike Peters / June 23, 2001 / New York (Village Underground)

Nearly everyone who meets Mike Peters, the former frontman of defunct Welsh

rock act the Alarm, is immediately struck by his personable and kindly

nature. He is the anti-rock star -- unpretentious, nearly devoid of ego, and

infinitely approachable. Now, 20 years after the band played its first live

show, and nearly a decade since he walked away from his mates (thus forcing

the dissolution of the Alarm), Peters celebrated its legacy with a unique

tour that closed Saturday night (June 23) at New York's Village Underground.

Hardcore Alarm fans who have indulged Peters' recent solo tours have been

rewarded with the opportunity to get close to the

singer/guitarist/songwriter who was once perched on a stage far away in

stadiums and arenas at the height of the band's fame. The intimacy of these

often acoustic appearances, along with fans' seemingly insatiable appetite

for his stories of touring, recording and the whirlwind existence of the

Alarm, spawned this brief tour of marathon (some exceeding five hours)

shows.

In a series of shows he's played in Wales (on June 10, the actual 20th

anniversary of the first gig), Boston, Chicago, Los Angeles, and New York,

Peters has spun the history of the Alarm armed only with an acoustic guitar,

a photo-filled Macintosh laptop computer hooked to a projector, and his

memories. The setting befits the artist, who is an engaging storyteller with

a seemingly latent stand-up comedian hiding within.

Remarkable to many was Peters' availability before and after the show, as

well as in between sets. He walked through the club greeting every fan who

posed a question or asked for an autograph or a picture -- some long known

to him, others newly introduced -- and each received a genuine smile and his

sincere appreciation.

The first of Peters' two sets on Saturday found him taking the sold-out

audience on a tour of his roots with bandmates Eddie MacDonald, Nigel Twist,

and Dave Sharp. Pictures on the screen behind him showed their homes, and

gave a tangible vision of restless youngsters bent on making a way in the

world through music. While the first set relied more on his recollections

and humorous photos of the various phases of the band's evolution -- from

the Toilets to Seventeen, and eventually the Alarm -- than on the sparse

musical interludes, it was a tale that proved worth telling.

Stories of Peters lying to local promoters to get Seventeen on a bill with

the Stray Cats (which led to a European tour with the U.S. rockabilly act)

and learning of John Lennon's death (the impact of which brought about the

end of Seventeen and gave birth to the Alarm), framed the little known

Seventeen number "Street of 1,000 Faces" and a cover of Lennon's "Working

Class Hero." Later, tales of recording studios and touring America with U2

brought on stellar renditions of early numbers "Marching On," "The Stand,"

and "68 Guns."

Adding another dimension to the affair, Peters took the opportunity to

record several songs with dedication introductions for his box set project,

for which each set ordered through his Web site includes a personalized,

newly recorded version of any Alarm song requested by the buyer. While most

have been done in his home studio, the ongoing demand led him to knock out a

few during the show.

The second, longer set brought substantially more music, as Peters tore

through selections from the Alarm's discography -- "Declaration" (1984),

"Strength" (1985), "Eye of the Hurricane" (1987), "Change" (1989), and "Raw"

(1991) -- one by one. While some were truncated versions as Peters raced to

pack as much in before the show's curfew, highlights included moving

versions of "We Are the Light" and "Spirit of '76," and energetic takes on

the audience participatory "Howling Wind" and "Sold Me Down the River."

Late in the set, following a lament about the "Raw" album ("Unfortunately,

the band never got to make another record after this, but there's still time

for that."), Peters spoke of recent conversations with each of his former

band members, some of whom sent messages to the fans. Sharp, who has waged a

sporadic, somewhat public battle with Peters in recent months, passed on

"Keep the faith," while McDonald (of who Peters says they are "working

towards a point where we can write some songs") "sends you all his love."

Twist sent the longest message for Peters to read, ending with the

statement, "The Alarm will always be there for you... hopefully for another

20 years." Peters said the conversations have led to the agreement among his

former bandmates that the Alarm will live on through his solo work, with an

open door for all to collaborate with him at any time (currently, only Sharp

is the band's other working musician; Twist has moved on to work in the

legal field; MacDonald is a photographer).

Peters announced that he has personally issued a challenge to each of the

Alarm's other members, to reunite in early 2003, even if just for one night,

at the Gathering, his annual Alarm/solo music-themed weekend in Wales. The

proclamation, as well as an emotional version of "These Moments In Time,"

brought the crowd to its feet. More than three and-a-half hours after he

started, Peters then ripped through the "Declaration" anthem "Blaze of

Glory," bringing a close to the night, and to this chapter of his ongoing

career.

Here is Mike Peters' June 23, 2001, set list:

"Street of 1,000 Faces" (Seventeen)

"Working Class Hero"

"Shout to the Devil"

"Unsafe Building"

"Marching On"

"The Stand"

"68 Guns"

- Intermission -

"Howling Wind"

"Tell Me"

"We Are the Light"

"The Deceiver"

"The Chant Has Just Begun"

"Absolute Reality"

"Strength"

"Knife Edge"

"Spirit of '76"

"Rain In the Summertime"

"Rescue Me"

"Knockin' on Heaven's Door"

"Sold Me Down the River"

"Rockin' In the Free World"

"Lead Me Through the Darkness"

"Walk Forever by My Side"

"Rose Beyond the Wall"

"Moments In Time"

"Blaze of Glory"

-- Barry A. Jeckell, N.Y.

The Alarm 2000-2001

Second Generation Tour

Custom CD Collection

The MPO is proud to announce the release of the Second Generation Tour

Custom CD Collection.

Most nights of The Alarm 2000/2001 Second Generation Tour have been

digitally recorded and are now available on compact disc.

Each Double CD Collection contains the complete concert experience.

There have been no overdubs - This is the true sound and fury of Mike Peters

and The Alarm 2000 live in concert.

A total rock'n'roll audio assault.

Marching On / Where Were You Hiding? / Deeside / Majority / Knife Edge / The

Deceiver / The Stand / One Step Closer To Home / Unsafe Building / Absolute

Reality / Walk Forever By My Side / Sold Me Down The River / Strength / Rain

In The Summertime / Rescue Me / Spirit Of '76 / 68 Guns / Blaze Of Glory

Each title in the series contains two Red Poppy discs with custom packaging

created by Mike Peters himself.

All of the above tracks are featured plus additional songs as performed on

the night [See below for full track listings].

001 Glasgow - The Garage 04.12.2000 [Plus: Breathe, High On The Hill,

Regeneration, Up For Murder, My Generation]

002 Newcastle - University 05.12.2000 [Plus: Breathe, Fade In Fade Out Fade

Away, Howling Wind, Regeneration, Up For Murder, My Generation, Happy Xmas]

003 Leeds - the Cockpit 07.12.2000 [Plus: Up For Murder, My Generation]

004 Wolverhampton - Wulfrun Hall 08.12.2000 [Plus: Breathe, We Are The

Light, High On The Hill, Howling Wind, Regeneration, Up For Murder, My

Generation, Happy Xmas]

005 Liverpool - The Lomax 09.12.2000 [Plus: Up For Murder, Moments In Time,

Better Scream]

006 Sheffield - The Leadmill 10.12.2000 [Plus: Up For Murder, Unbreak The

Promise, Howling Wind, My Generation, Happy Xmas]

007 Nottingham - Rock City 13.12.2000 [Plus: Rocking In The Freeworld, Bound

For Glory, Up For Murder, My Generation, Happy Xmas]

008 London - Shepherds Bush Empire 15.12.2000 [Plus: Breathe, We Are the

Light, The Chant, High On the Hill, Howling Wind, Up For Murder, My

Generation, Happy Xmas]

009 Cardiff - University 16.12.2000 [Plus: Bells Of Rhymney, The Chant,

Regeneration, High On The Hill, Howling Wind, A New South Wales]

010 Manchester - University 17.12.2000 [Plus: Up For Murder, Change, Howling

Wind, My Generation]

011 Hamburg - Logo 06.02.2001 [Plus: Up For Murder & My Generation]

012 Asschaffenburg - Colos-Saal 10.02.2001 [Plus: Up For Murder & Bound For

Glory]

013 Chicago - Elbo Room 09.04.2001

014 Boston - T.T.s 12.04.2001

015 Long Island, New York - Vanderbilt Theatre 13.04.2001

016 Atlanta - The Cotton Club 20.04.2001

Each album in the series costs 20.00 [1 p&p] UK / $30 [$5 p&p] US with a

2.00/ $3.00 discount for each additional album purchased.

To order Tel: 011 44 [0] 1745 571571 or visit www.thealarm.com

END OF TOUR PARTY!!!!

To celebrate the end of the latest US Excursion, Mike Peters and the band (Dirk, Jim and Steve) are playing an extra show at the Elbo Room in Chicago on Saturday 21st July. If it's in your area, please 'come on down and meet your sharpeners' at the Elbo Room!! Ticket information to follow shortly.

EXTRA ALARM 2001 SHOWS IN THE USA

07/17/01 DES MOINES, IA HOUSE OF BRICKS 515 280 1388
07/19/01 MARQUETTE, MI UP FRONT AND COMPANY 906 228 5200
07/20/01 CLEVELAND, OH BLIND LEMONS 216 521 8878

The British answer to the Rat Pack, the Dead Men Walking Experience is an unforgettable one. Born out of friendship and mutual respect combined with Peters's desire to create a contemporary Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young, Dead Men Walking is a collective of the UK's rock'n roll's finest; Glen Matlock from the Sex Pistols, Pete Wylie from the Mighty Wah, Kirk Brandon from Spear of Destiny and Mike Peters from The Alarm. For an evening of acute entertainment, following on from DMW's recent jaunt, look forward to a sprinkling of dates in August (dates to follow) and later in October/November when DMW will be embarking on an extensive tour of the UK. Please keep in touch for finalised dates.

The MPO is proud to announce the release of extra concerts to the Second
Generation Tour Custom CD Collection.

Most nights of The Alarm 2000/2001 Second Generation Tour have been
digitally recorded and are now available on compact disc.

Each Double CD Collection contains the complete concert experience.

There have been no overdubs - This is the true sound and fury of Mike
Peters and The Alarm 2000 live in concert.

A total rock'n'roll audio assault.

Marching On / Where Were You Hiding? / Deeside / Majority / Knife Edge / The
Deceiver / The Stand / One Step Closer To Home / Unsafe Building / Absolute
Reality / Walk Forever By My Side / Sold Me Down The River / Strength / Rain
In The Summertime / Rescue Me / Spirit Of '76 / 68 Guns / Blaze Of Glory

Each title in the series contains two Red Poppy discs with custom packaging
created by Mike Peters himself.

All of the above tracks are featured plus additional songs as performed on
the night

011 Hamburg - Logo 06.02.2001 [Plus: Up For Murder & My Generation]

012 Asschaffenburg - Colos-Saal 10.02.2001 [Plus: Up For Murder & Bound For
Glory]

013 Chicago - Elbo Room 09.04.2001

014 Boston - T.T.¹s 12.04.2001

015 Long Island, New York - Vanderbilt Theatre 13.04.2001

016 Atlanta - The Cotton Club 20.04.2001

Each album in the series costs £20.00 [£1 p&p] UK / $30 [$5 p&p] US with a
£2.00/ $3.00 discount for each additional album purchased.

To order Tel: 011 44 [0] 1745 571571 or visit the store at www.thealarm.com



MPO Store

Please can you help out MPO. Three weeks ago, an extensive MPO mailout was
posted from New Jersey to all American MPO members. At this point there has
been no record of anybody receiving their mailout. Please could American
list members contact MPO mpo@alarmpo.demon.co.uk and let them know either
way whether a newsletter has been received (The A4 newsletter contains
details of the US and German live Second Generation recordings, The
Gathering 10 and the 20th Anniversary concerts! Each newletter is folded
into a third of the size of an A4, secured by an address label).

Despite the non appearance of the mailout, the US shows were well attended
particularly the sold out New York show and Capistrano. Thanks to all of you
who showed your support to Mike - he had a fantastic time meeting up with
friends, old and new.

Of particular note was Billy Corgan's (Smashing Pumpkins) appearance at the
Chicago show, as well as bumping into Ian Astbury in Hollywood, Rupert
Everett in NYC and in London, another of Mike's all time hero, Mick Jones of
Clashworld.

Thanks for your time. We look forward to hearing from you at your earliest
convenience. Please can you include your current postal address as this will
help keep our U.S. database in pristine condition.

Mike Peters / June 23, 2001 / New York (Village Underground)

Nearly everyone who meets Mike Peters, the former frontman of defunct Welsh
rock act the Alarm, is immediately struck by his personable and kindly
nature. He is the anti-rock star -- unpretentious, nearly devoid of ego, and
infinitely approachable. Now, 20 years after the band played its first live
show, and nearly a decade since he walked away from his mates (thus forcing
the dissolution of the Alarm), Peters celebrated its legacy with a unique
tour that closed Saturday night (June 23) at New York's Village Underground.

Hardcore Alarm fans who have indulged Peters' recent solo tours have been
rewarded with the opportunity to get close to the
singer/guitarist/songwriter who was once perched on a stage far away in
stadiums and arenas at the height of the band's fame. The intimacy of these
often acoustic appearances, along with fans' seemingly insatiable appetite
for his stories of touring, recording and the whirlwind existence of the
Alarm, spawned this brief tour of marathon (some exceeding five hours)
shows.

In a series of shows he's played in Wales (on June 10, the actual 20th
anniversary of the first gig), Boston, Chicago, Los Angeles, and New York,
Peters has spun the history of the Alarm armed only with an acoustic guitar,
a photo-filled Macintosh laptop computer hooked to a projector, and his
memories. The setting befits the artist, who is an engaging storyteller with
a seemingly latent stand-up comedian hiding within.

Remarkable to many was Peters' availability before and after the show, as
well as in between sets. He walked through the club greeting every fan who
posed a question or asked for an autograph or a picture -- some long known
to him, others newly introduced -- and each received a genuine smile and his
sincere appreciation.

The first of Peters' two sets on Saturday found him taking the sold-out
audience on a tour of his roots with bandmates Eddie MacDonald, Nigel Twist,
and Dave Sharp. Pictures on the screen behind him showed their homes, and
gave a tangible vision of restless youngsters bent on making a way in the
world through music. While the first set relied more on his recollections
and humorous photos of the various phases of the band's evolution -- from
the Toilets to Seventeen, and eventually the Alarm -- than on the sparse
musical interludes, it was a tale that proved worth telling.

Stories of Peters lying to local promoters to get Seventeen on a bill with
the Stray Cats (which led to a European tour with the U.S. rockabilly act)
and learning of John Lennon's death (the impact of which brought about the
end of Seventeen and gave birth to the Alarm), framed the little known
Seventeen number "Street of 1,000 Faces" and a cover of Lennon's "Working
Class Hero." Later, tales of recording studios and touring America with U2
brought on stellar renditions of early numbers "Marching On," "The Stand,"
and "68 Guns."

Adding another dimension to the affair, Peters took the opportunity to
record several songs with dedication introductions for his box set project,
for which each set ordered through his Web site includes a personalized,
newly recorded version of any Alarm song requested by the buyer. While most
have been done in his home studio, the ongoing demand led him to knock out a
few during the show.

The second, longer set brought substantially more music, as Peters tore
through selections from the Alarm's discography -- "Declaration" (1984),
"Strength" (1985), "Eye of the Hurricane" (1987), "Change" (1989), and "Raw"
(1991) -- one by one. While some were truncated versions as Peters raced to
pack as much in before the show's curfew, highlights included moving
versions of "We Are the Light" and "Spirit of '76," and energetic takes on
the audience participatory "Howling Wind" and "Sold Me Down the River."

Late in the set, following a lament about the "Raw" album ("Unfortunately,
the band never got to make another record after this, but there's still time
for that."), Peters spoke of recent conversations with each of his former
band members, some of whom sent messages to the fans. Sharp, who has waged a
sporadic, somewhat public battle with Peters in recent months, passed on
"Keep the faith," while McDonald (of who Peters says they are "working
towards a point where we can write some songs") "sends you all his love."

Twist sent the longest message for Peters to read, ending with the
statement, "The Alarm will always be there for you... hopefully for another
20 years." Peters said the conversations have led to the agreement among his
former bandmates that the Alarm will live on through his solo work, with an
open door for all to collaborate with him at any time (currently, only Sharp
is the band's other working musician; Twist has moved on to work in the
legal field; MacDonald is a photographer).

Peters announced that he has personally issued a challenge to each of the
Alarm's other members, to reunite in early 2003, even if just for one night,
at the Gathering, his annual Alarm/solo music-themed weekend in Wales. The
proclamation, as well as an emotional version of "These Moments In Time,"
brought the crowd to its feet. More than three and-a-half hours after he
started, Peters then ripped through the "Declaration" anthem "Blaze of
Glory," bringing a close to the night, and to this chapter of his ongoing
career.

Here is Mike Peters' June 23, 2001, set list:

"Street of 1,000 Faces" (Seventeen)
"Working Class Hero"
"Shout to the Devil"
"Unsafe Building"
"Marching On"
"The Stand"
"68 Guns"

- Intermission -

"Howling Wind"
"Tell Me"
"We Are the Light"
"The Deceiver"
"The Chant Has Just Begun"
"Absolute Reality"
"Strength"
"Knife Edge"
"Spirit of '76"
"Rain In the Summertime"
"Rescue Me"
"Knockin' on Heaven's Door"
"Sold Me Down the River"
"Rockin' In the Free World"
"Lead Me Through the Darkness"
"Walk Forever by My Side"
"Rose Beyond the Wall"
"Moments In Time"
"Blaze of Glory"

Mike Peters is to appear as Special Guest at the Stranglers Convention in the West Country over the weekend of Sept. 14-16th, 2001.

Mike Peters' connections with the Stranglers go back many years and Mike has enjoyed many tours in the mid nineties across the UK and France. In honour of their friendship, the Stranglers have invited Mike to take part in their own Gathering-style weekend. Mike will appear on Saturday September 15th.

The Band's official website can be found at www.Stranglers.net http://www.Stranglers.net , and the booking enquiry helpline is 01373 834167. Cost of the weekend is £89 per person which includes two nights accommodation, umpteen live sets and as many activities as can put together in time for September!

Mike Peters stormed through California this past weekend, playing two near-marathon shows to celebrate the 20th Anniversary of The Alarm.

The Coach House show, on June 15th was a 4 1/2 hour marvel. Mike's opening band was the Lakers/Sixers final NBA game on a big screen TV. Mike came out late because the game ran late. The show was supposed to start at 8:00, but ended up starting near 9:30. MP revealed many funny and touching stories as he taught 300+ fans a lesson in rock and Alarm History through words, music, and dozens of rare photographs projected on a screen through Mike's Mac G4. The show was filled with nearly 30 songs spanning The Alarm's career, with many rarities including the 17 song "Street Of 1000 Faces". By the time the show ended at 1:45 in the morning, Mike was given a standing ovation by an adoring and stunned crowd who could not believe a man could play on-stage for that long.

The Knitting Factory show on June 18th was a completely different animal. The Knitting Factory is supposedly the "hottest place to play in LA". Usually the "hottest place" designation is reserved for a "cool" rat hole, with bad parking, and a rude staff, situated in the worst part of town. However, The Knitting Factory breaks this mold. It is basically in a mall on Hollywood Blvd. Parking was ample and cheap, and the staff was overly pleasant. Frankly, it was weird.

The show started at 8:15, and lasted for 3 and 1/4 hours. It was a tighter version of the Coach House show, and in many respects much better, mostly because it started and ended at a decent hour. If the crowd was "adoring" at The Coach House, they were "enraptured" at the Knitting Factory. The crowd of just-over 100 made a glorious racket and appreciated Mike's show to the fullest. Even several patrons in the "upper level, off limits area" were seen applauding Mike and enjoying the show. This might not sound uncommon, except for the fact that the "upper level" was filled with people waiting for Shaun "Puffy" (P. Diddy) Combs to show-up for an event following Mike's show. A tough crowd indeed, and not one easily won-over.

Both shows ended with Mike Peters reading a letter from Nigel Twist to the fans, and then running through photo and musical tributes to his ex-band members. Mike also revealed a rather interesting little fact. The Alarm will live-on. There will be more albums and tours under the name The Alarm. The amount of involvement of the other 3 original members remains to be seen, however Mike did state that the move was being done with the blessing of all involved.

The experience of Rhyl Town Hall was truly amazing. Fans of The Alarm had travelled far and wide from all across the UK and as far afield as Norway, Japan, Germany, Holland, USA and all across the UK to attend this momentous occasion in Alarm history.

The day kicked off in style at 1pm with the legendary Mike Peters Coach Trip. Mike insisted on hosting each coach trip around the Alarming sights of Rhyl and Prestatyn. These trips ran on the hour, every hour during the whole afternoon and each coachload of fans was treated to a Mike Peters personal commentary. Highlights included an impromptu performance by Mike himself in The Vic, Prestatyn (the original venue of the first ever Alarm performance, 20 years ago today!)

Wiithout giving too much away (as this performance will continue around the globe over the next few weeks), the evening performance was like no other. Mike Peters, alone, apart from acoustic guitar and his Apple Mac Lap top, took his audience on a dream Alarm journey, assisted by a treasure trove of Alarming slides (from Peters' personal collection) and personal recollections from Mike himself, including witty recollections of times with Bob Dylan, Bob Geldof, Bono Vox, Neil Young, Freddie Mercury... to name but a few!

The performance was enriched by the appearance of the legendary 'Pete of '76' - Pete Wylie as well as messages of support from Nigel Twist and a phone call from Dave Sharp. Mike played an awesome four hour set, kicking off with 'Seventeen's 'Street of a Thousand faces' and finishing with an astonishing Alarm Greatest Hits medley.

The audience was entranced and just after midnight the 20 year anniversary was marked by an explosion of fireworks against the backdrop of 'Blaze of Glory'. The night was still young and Peters, ever the Alarm enthusiast hosted the aftershow party at the original 'Gallery; ( where Mike and friends used to host their alternative parties back in 1981!) on Rhyl Promenade.

See you in Boston!

On the eve of the SOLD OUT 20th Anniversary Concert, Mike Peters looks forward to welcoming fans to the hometown of hisself and The Alarm.

Amazingly, people are making the pilgrimage from as far afield as the United States, Holland, Germany, Scandinavia and especially for the event, a guy all the way from Japan (who emailed MPO this week to say he was hours away from boarding a plane and could he be guranteed a ticket! )
Ikuko Yamamoto is travelling to Rhyl, Wales from Japan especially for the concert!

Mike Peters has a fantastic day in store and late tonight was spotted perfecting the itinerary as he tested out the bus trip around the Alarming sights of Rhyl and Prestatyn.

Mike is looking forward to taking this show on the road across America over the next few weeks.

Safe trip and see you all there!

Love and life,

MPO

Following on from a successful US East Coast Tour, Mike Peters and Alarm
2001 return to the States for a Summer outing. Dates are as follows...

13/07/01 RACINE, WI "SALMON A RAMA" RACINE FESTIVAL PK.
14/07/01 OSKOSH,WI "LIFEST" SUNNYVIEW FAIRGROUNDS
15/07/01 ST. PAUL, MN THE LAB 4TH ST. STATION
18/07/01 LANSING, IL J.J. KELLY'S
20/07/01 CLEVELAND, OH BLIND LEMONS

BOX OFFICE information to follow

An extra show has been added to the June anniversary concerts.
June 21st Connections
503 Van Houten Ave
Clifton NJ 07013
USA
TEL 973 473 3127

This morning we felt like strangling the agent (no offence Chuck, Chris, Les and Jamie) because today our quest was to reach Niagra Falls. The routing on this tour was starting to feel like one of those crazy new quiz programmes like 'Castaway' or 'Big Brother'... 'Today, contestants your quest is to remain sane whilst seated in a cramped tourbus, drive 10 hours, play a concert and repeat in a southerly direction tomorrow'.

Luckily, our spirits remain perky and so our quest ends up turning into a side-splitting adventure. It was especially wonderful to return to Niagra Falls (see recent website photo). The gig however was a whole other experience. No backline when we arrived and 2 support bands with the longest sets in history. Agony!!! It was such an experience that after checking into the hotel after the show, James and I opened an emergency Sharpening Club back at the venue and coerced an exhausted Steve G and Mike P to join us.

The next part of the game instructed us to drive zillions of miles south to Hilton Head Island. Being the professionals that we are, we made record time due to Nightrider's impressive motoring skills. We didn't realise that the cruelty of the game would cause lightning to strike on the venue
(I kid you not) which meant the concert was cancelled! Cazzo! (New Italian swear word of mine - yes, I'm writing this on the Italian tour - makes sense huh?) Okay - turn the tourbus around and move on to next show.

Remember all that talk of agony and ecstasy? Well after the frustrating lightning episode, I was intrigued to read the billboard outside the Norva in Norfolk, VA... It read... 'Tonite: Prince SOLD OUT'. "Hey Mike", I grinned, "look who it is - Prince!" (As a disco kid back in Rhyl, I had no interest in The Alarm when I met Mike that fateful night in the Spirit of 86 whereas Prince...) I just assumed it must be a covers band ( a bit like Alarm 2001; ha ha) as Prince surely goes by the 'squiggle - formerly known as' but Mike convinced me that this was in fact the real Purple Prince of Pop. I was beside myself and a few moments later, after Mike Jones' swift action, we found ourselves checked into the hotel next door and whisked into the sold out theatre. It was one of those magical nights. You know, dinner party story stuff. It had also been my birthday the day before so what a way to celebrate! To see Prince only a few feet away launching into Purple Rain is something I will never forget.

The following night was a great experience as we were treated like Kings by the Norva crew. The backstage area was fantastico, complete with jacuzzi and Don Perignon. The game was hotting up. This was our reward.

Today we only had 2 hours to traverse. This was wonderful news as it gave us chance to go shopping, buy new socks and underpants and all that glamorous stuff. James and I were also taking our time to develop a new revolutionary diet. At the beginning of the tour, I had met a very trim and ridiculously young looking James Stevenson striding out at Brussels Airport. James and I, as well as Mike P and the Carbo King (Steveie G) had made a sort of unspoken pact to retain our previous levels of fitness and to refrain from too much fat-inducing debauchery whilst on tour. As a result, the Legendary Seven Day Diet: How to Stay Trim and Youthful on the Road in the US whilst also retaining Full Sharpening Club Membership Status' was born

How we laughed. The diet goes something like this:

THE JAMES AND JULES SEVEN DAY LOSE TEN POUNDS DIET.
If strictly adhered to this diet is guaranteed to lose you at least ten
pounds in a week.


Day One

Start the diet gently. For breakfast some fibrous cereal with low fat milk.
Skip lunch. In the evening some grilled fish with salad and vegetables only
(no carbohydrate) and a bottle of Chardonnay or other white wine which is a
good accompaniment to the meal.

Day Two

Coffee only for breakfast - as much as you like but with sugar substitute.
Eat just fruit throughout the day.
In the evening more fruit, some gummy bears and some M+M's.
Drink as much Becks, Heineken or other similar bottled lager as you like.
A few glasses of draft in between the consumption of the bottled beer is
important.
Around midnight you will be craving carbohydrate. Drink more beer until the
craving disappears.

Day Three

For breakfast two eggs (any style) with hash browns and toast and coffee
(with non fat milk and sugar substitute).

In the evening get absolutely hammered on beer, tequila sunrises and red
wine, but don't eat.

Day Four

Start the day with a light brunch of Caesar's salad with grilled chicken,
tuna or other low-fat meat.

In the evening, pasta (not too much) with a light tomato sauce.

If you are hungry later have some hummus from the previous evening's 'rider' with some
of the stale, left over pitta bread. There will probably be some Sierra Nevada or
Rolling Rock beer knocking about. Drink as much as you want and if you fancy
it some of the red wine too. On no account indulge in the fresh melon or
grapes you find in the dressing room.

Day Five

Have as little sleep as possible. Drink as much water as you like on waking
and drive five hundred miles in a cramped van. Be as grumpy as possible. Stop
at a fast food restaurant. Order the fish burger. Discard the bun and scrape
the mayo off the piece of fish. Eat the fish fillet only.

In the evening hummus again with pitta and some fresh vegetables (cauliflower,
celery, carrots etc.) Micro brewed beer only this evening - as much as you
want - but no mixing of alcoholic beverages today. Then have sex all night
with someone you don't know very well.

Day Six

Light brunch consisting of a Boca Burger (meat free - available exclusively
at Denny's restaurants) and fries (You will benefit from the carbohydrate
after the previous night's exertion). As a special treat you may chose from
one of the following condiments: BBQ sauce, honey mustard dressing or brown
gravy.

In the evening after soundcheck refuse to go to the hotel. Instead stay at
the bar drinking as much as you want with your favourite drinking partner.
Don't eat. Collapse in an exhausted heap in the bus at the suggestion of one
final pint.

Day Seven
(Day seven is crucial to the diet but can also be the trickiest to organise).

Make sure that due to someone else's complete incompetence and ineptitude
your whole day is taken up with straightening out their mess. For example you
may have to drive three hundred miles to deliver back a rental van to New
Jersey because someone had the foresight to write off your original bus which
was rented from JFK airport. It was rented from the airport very thoughtfully
as this is your embarkation point back to the UK. Now its all a mad rush to
get the new bus back to New Jersey and then get yourself back to New York in
time for a 2 hour performance and then a mad dash to JFK. This is very stressful and pushes up the metabolic rate
and therefore burns additional calories. Circumnavigate the whole of
Manhattan at least once. The positive side? No time to eat anything. Have a
few Bloody Marys on the plane (if you make it) but make sure you fall asleep
exhausted before the food is served. Having successfully missed dinner, drink yourself into a stupor all the way across the Atlantic (feel free to mix your liqours to your heart's content).

Please note: If you are pregnant, suffer from heart problems or taking medication, then this diet is not for you.

THE ALARM. Alarm 2000 Collection. 21st Century 21CD18.
One of the main reasons why this review has taken so long (sorry Mr. Peters!), is the fact that when you're faced with an eight cd collection like this, you can imagine the intimidation! Not only that, but the box set is a limited edition with an offer that is pretty unique. Once feasted upon, you pick the track you like the best, contact Mike Peters and he'll do you a special acoustic rendition of said track. This is pretty unique, and also kind of brings in a sense of a one to one, personal touch. The band hailed from Rhyl, Wales, forming in 1981, and were influenced by U2, and The Clash, which is no surprise, really, and it's a compliment to Peters' choice of influence, especially when you reckon on that both U2 and The Clash were, and still are, two of the most influential bands from that period. Originally known as the Seventeen, they changed their name after the single, Alarm Alarm. The passion of the band came through early on, and they obviously wobbled between Clash and U2, the Clash, mainly for the energy (and fashion), and later, U2, especially on their album Electric Folklore Live, and Celtic influences abound. They were a brilliant live act, both visually and musically, and gained a large following because of this. Their career, influences and Peter's own stuff can all be had here. Their first single as the Alarm, 68 Guns is here alongside the aforesaid Electric Folklore Live. The eight cds begin with Eponymous, going through the time lines to cd 7 with Raw which covers 1980 to 1991. CD eight is called Rare Tracks and features b sides and demos. Even to pick out the better tracks would probably take up the rest of the space in the magazine, so you can take it from me that there are some truly dazzling gems on here. Obviously, there's no denying that there are several weaker tracks, but what I like about this set is the fact that it's a kind of warts and all. In all you get 150 tracks, of which 28 are live, 17 are previously unreleased and 86 have never been released on cd or album. Whilst the price of the set may well limit sales, there's no denying that there is some splendid stuff here. The amount of work that's gone into the booklet alone should prove this. What you must bear in mind, though, is that there's a Best Of compilation taking the highlights (which, again, is almost impossible) giving a good idea of what to expect. The after effects are twofold: the first is the fact that you really do feel that The Alarm should have been up there with the aforesaid influences, and secondly, why did this happen? One of the most complete and effective box sets I've ever had the pleasure of reviewing. (Dave W).

Mike Peters has just returned from a very successful tour of Italy where he
travelled as far south as Rome and and as far north as Bolzano, near the
Austrian border. Mike played very lengthy acoustic shows peppered with
stories from his time in the music business. The highlight of the tour was
when Mike was joined on stage at the Calamite for a superb rendition of
'Knockin' on Heavens Door' by Italian megasta and Alarm fan, Ligabue.

"Luciano Ligabue is from Correggio and is one of the most famous ever
rock-songwriters in Italy. Influenced by Bruce Springsteen, U2 and The
Alarm. Since his eponymous CD in 1989 Ligabue has been welcomed with an
incredible success and a huge following. His latest CD sold over a million
copies in Italy and he sold out The San Siro Stadium in Milano twice in a
row.
Ligabue's lyrics speaks directly to the heart of people and all of his
singles are now classics while his shows are sweat and energy in abundance,
as every rock'n roll show should be."
For more info please visit www.ligabue.it

Over the next few days, photographs of Mike in stage with Ligabue, Mike at
the Collesium etc. will be added to the alarm.com. Ciao ciao...

We were all a little hungover in the lobby of our Chicago Hotel this morning. Well, James and I were. It's the American screwdrivers for me - that's where it all starts to go horribly wrong. For James, it's Tequila Sunrises. What a team :) It's amazing what a Denny's Restaurant can do though, to sort the hangover out. For us Brits, this was the closest we could get to a fry up and carbo fix. At this stage of the tour, we had discovered the fantastic news that Dennys served up the Boca burger - yes, the veggie alternative to 'the burger'. We had also discovered that Dennys couldn't cope with a party of 8 - ie. Dinner is always served cold. So we had this cunning plan that we would enter the restaurant in two groups of four. It confused the server every time. She had an overwhelming desire to sit us all together and we had an overwhelming desire to sit separately and have our food served hot.

When you've been sat on tourbus for hours on end, the sight of a Dennys sign is magical. Sad, I know but there it is. Food, sleep become our prime requirements. You have to remember that it is a real learning experience being on tour. Stripped of home comforts and cast out in the US of A, it can be quite cathartic. We all have our idiosyncracies and we all have to put up with eachother in an enclosed environment. It really tests the friendship. Throw in a roadtrip to Indianapolis as well for good measure....

Ummm... Indianapolis.. not The Alarm's biggest market from memory :) but as I've discussed before you go from ecstasy to agony in this rock'n roll game. Indianapolis wasn't agony to be fair as I met some really lovely people but I guess Chicago was close to ecstasy and I suppose it is all relative at the end of the day.

The good bit about Indianapolis was meeting Johnny Boom Boom. Johnny has been calling MPO since 1992 and has become a firm favourite in the Fan Stakes back at MPO HQ. Johnny is in fact from Ohio and had made a special trip for the occasion. Johnny is also a T shirt fanatic and has the most impressive Alarm Wardrobe you will ever see. Respect also goes to Ed Manuel who never fails to make that extra special journey and take in a bit of Alarm medicine.

From Indianapolis we were back to the ecstasy of Boston but before that we had to endure 1000 miles travelling eastwards in two days as well as taking in a court appearance for our dear Tour Manager and Sound Engineer, Richard Michael Jones in our most beloved of US towns, Denville, New Jersey. F%*king Denville! It was like a bad dream. Nobody wanted to be back here, at the location of our earlier accident and nightmare Luckily, when Mike Jones announced the reason for his trip, the prosecutor leapt out of his chair. Turned out that the Prosecutor was a massive Alarm fan! Lets say this made Mike Jones' court experience a little easier.

Boston was more welcoming; afterall it is regarded as the spiritual hometown of The Alarm.
The show was great and this time Mike wasn't turfed out for playing overtime (like last time). I met some great MPO Virgins, Peter for one, who had his dedication recorded at the show tonight. It was comforting to see some dieharders: Lyn and Leah. Thanks girls. The Sharpening Club wasn't open tonight as to be fair I like to be sober when communicating about all things MPO. Honest. You see I like to see myself as the Pace Setter of the Sharpening Club...It goes something like this.... 6pm Soundcheck:
Jules: Hey James, fancy a sharpener....
James: Of course. Mine's a 'Sweet Water' (local draught beer for those not in the know)
Steve: Mine's a Heineken (much derided snorting from James and Jules who only drink draught micro beer)
Dick: Mine's a Sam Adams (fairly impressive)
Mike P: Mine's a Diet Coke (appalling but Mike makes up for it on 'Days Off' and back in Wales)

8pm... Jules stops drinking... boys continue...

The ecstasy was to continue as we departed Boston and drove in to The Vanderbilt Theatre, Long Island. Here was our piece de resistance. Quite simple really; play The Alarm three times daily at local radio and Alarm fans come out in force. WLIR were pumping out Alarm tunes daily for weeks which certainly helped the concert no end...

I was mobbed at the MPO Desk and Alarm stalwart, 'Englishman in New York', Peter Simmons, learnt the hard way, how demanding it can be to be in the front line. Tonight, I wrote Mike's set list for him with the dedications alone. Mike looked absolutely horrified when I sent the dedications backstage as this really screwed up his plans for a fast and furious set that he had planned. It got so crazy that Mike had to forgo the dedications and instead dedicate a whole mid section to namechecking everyone and promising to record an extra special acoustic dedication for everyone on top of their live recording from tonight. It all worked out fine thankfully and the show was absolutely tremendous. There were so many people dying to meet Mike that we arranged for them to meet up after the show in the foyer and they were not to be disappointed. Mike Peters, hero and exhausted from giving his all, still took the time out to spend time with his dedicated fans. That's what makes Mike so special for me. Top knotch genuine bloke without ego who cares about his fans.

On that note I will bid you goodnight. You Long Islanders tired me out tonight. Thanks for the support. See you down that American road.

Jules Boca

We received the following letter from our web host today. It seems the last few weeks have generated a lot of interest in The Alarm! That can only be a good thing. Hopefully the web site will work better when we move.

See below:

----------------------------------------------------------------

Dear Michael Peters Organization,

It has been discovered that thealarm.com has been getting a lot of hits
which has been negatively effecting the server it is hosted on. To deal with
this we want to move the domain on to a different server which has less
domains on it. You will see a performance boost from this on your own
domain.

If you can contact me as soon as posabble it would be very much appriceated.

Thank you for you understanding.

[name withheld]
NT System Administrator
HostPro.com

-----------------------------------------------------------

May 7, 2001, 3:20 pm PT
Mike Peters, Dave Sharp
Just like the Aston brothers with the name Gene Loves Jezebel, the Alarm -- best known for the '80s pop hits "68 Guns" and "The Stand" -- is currently sporting two members staking claim to the name... well, sort of.

About a week ago, Dave Sharp, former guitarist-vocalist of the Alarm, issued what he called to be "an official Alarm press release" titled "False Alarm Could Draw Legal Fire." In it, he explained the fallout between singer Mike Peters and the rest of the band in July 1991 and how Peters "rescinded rights to the band's name and logo in a document prepared by the band's legal advisers."

Sharp went on to say he was amazed when he heard of Peters touring and recording under the name the Alarm. This is just partially true, as Peters' last tour was under the name the Alarm 2000, not the Alarm proper. And, his current tour is being billed as the Alarm 20th anniversary tour, under the name the Alarm 2001.

In his release, Sharp warns, "With Peters currently touring the U.S. under an Alarm banner, using the band's name and likeness for promotional purposes, it certainly does look like the Alarm are headed for troubles of now legendary Pink Floyd proportions." However, regardless of the threat, at press time, no legal action has been taken.

Peters responded with a post on his Web site on Friday (May 4), saying, "I believe Dave does not need to resort to these kind of tactics, and I have told him so. I have also told Dave that my door will always be open to him; he will always be my friend. I have tried a thousand times to create a situation that would bring about the reformation of the Alarm; I have practically got down on my knees to Dave Sharp. I gave them the name of the Alarm in 1991, because they were supposed to carry on; they didn't. The opportunity to reform has been there for many years, but has never happened because of Dave Sharp, and Dave Sharp alone."

For Peters' full response to Sharp, go to www.thealarm.com. And, for more from Sharp, who is currently in New Orleans working on his new album, Sugarland, check out www.davesharp.org.


--

20 Year Anniversary
The Town Hall, Rhyl, North Wales
Saturday June 9th 2001


An afternoon and evening with Mike Peters celebrating 20 years of The Alarm
Coach trip/ projections/recollections/songs and stories/ 2 acoustic sets

‘In the poppy fields… I remember’

Twenty years ago on June 10th 1981 The Alarm sounded for the very first time.......

Now two decades later, Mike Peters will honour the twenty year anniversary of The Alarm by playing a special anniversary concert in The Alarm’s hometown of Rhyl. All shows will feature two very long acoustic sets filled with personal recollections, visual projections and songs drawn from the critically acclaimed Alarm 2000 box set collection.

The Rhyl show promises to be extra special indeed, as this is being held in the hometown of The Alarm and as close as possible to the exact date of the very first Alarm show! A series of events will take place throughout the day beginning with the world premiere of a live film of Seventeen shot in December 1980, a guided tour of Rhyl and Prestatyn, taking in all the ‘alarming’ sights and sounds of the area including a stop at the venue that hosted that first Alarm show. Mike Peters will then perform two long acoustic shows in the round, the first focusing on The Alarm 1981-1986 and the second The Alarm 1987-1991 finishing at Midnight -the exact twenty year birthday of The Alarm. At another undisclosed venue, a late night party will be held with Mike Peters as your host D.J.





ITINERARY
Afternoon Session: Please report to the Town Hall, Rhyl at 12 noon. Throughout the afternoon there will be 5 events for you to enjoy:

An accompanied Coach Trip with Mike Peters himself and trusty assistant, Richard ‘Modnus Modnussen’ Jones of Gathering Mastermind fame
World premiere of ‘Seventeen’ film live at Dingwalls, London, October 26th 1980
Special showing of rare film ‘The Alarm : Change Tour, USA – 1989’
Soundtrack of rare, unheard Seventeen and Alarm tracks.
Preview of forthcoming Alarm 2000 @ Live Shepherds Bush Empire – Future DVD Release


Please note the 5 events will be run in a round robin style, each lasting approximately one hour. (The last bus trip will set off at approximately 4pm)



Evening Session: Please arrive at the Town Hall, Rhyl promptly as Mike will be performing a very long show. Doors at 7.30pm Performance to begin at 8pm. No support. The show will finish at approximately 12 Midnight (assuming Mike doesn’t get too carried away!!!) in order to celebrate the 20th Year Anniversary as close as possible.



Aftershow: The location of the Aftershow Party will be disclosed on your arrival at the Rhyl Town Hall during the afternoon. Admission will be by using your existing 20th Anniversary ticket which will be stamped each time you enter and leave the Town Hall. The Aftershow will begin as soon as Mike finishes at the Town Hall. Please look after this ticket safely during the day and evening in order to ensure your admittance to the Aftershow.



Accommodation

Bed and breakfast accommodation can be secured by telephoning the Rhyl Tourist Board on 01745 355068 Travel The Town Hall is a few minutes walk from Rhyl Train Station.



Have a safe trip to Wales. Mike Peters and all at MPO are very much looking forward to welcoming you to Mike’s hometown and sharing in what promises to be a very memorable occasion in Alarm history.



Love and life,

MPO Tel 01745 571571 Fax 01745 571577 mpo@alarmpo.demon.co.uk www.thealarm.com

Please note : All times are approximate and subject to change. MPO will do their very best to make sure everything runs to time. In the spirit of the day, please work with us to make the day a memorable one.

Dead Men Walking are walking again. Your chance to catch up with the British
Rat Pack at a venue near to you. Treat yourself to a unique evening of
entertainment with Kirk (Spear of Destiny), Glen (Sex Pistols), Pete (Mighty
Wah!) and Mike (The Alarm) Box office details to follow...

MON 25TH JUNE LONDON DINGWALLS
TUE 26TH JUNE YORK FIBBERS
WED 27TH JUNE BRISTOL NEW MOON
THU 28TH JUNE ASHTON WITCHWOOD
FRI 29TH JUNE EXETER PHIONEX
SAT 30TH JUNE DERBY FLOWERPOT
SUN 1ST JULY PORTSMOUTH OPEN AIR

The efforts of singer Mike Peters to revive the music and memory of his ex-band The Alarm have been met with resistance from at least one of the group's former members concerned about confusion among fans. Peters has been touring since last year under the banner The Alarm 2000 or 2001, and despite efforts to include his ex-bandmates, his group does not involve any of the former members of the Welsh quartet. And that's the root of the problem. Ex-Alarm guitarist Dave Sharp is threatening Peters with a court injunction because some promoters have billed the singer as The Alarm, sans the year, allegedly even using old photos of the band in advertisements. Sharp said journalists have called him assuming the group has reunited. "The impression I was getting was there were a lot of people turning up to these shows expecting to see the four of us together and were given the complete wrong impression by the way in which the shows were promoted," Sharp told POLLSTAR. "We feel very strongly that the credibility of the band is being compromised here."Peters contends that his billing information instructs promoters to use the moniker The Alarm 2001 when advertising shows; however, if promoters advertise a gig as The Alarm, he's not worried about fans walking away disappointed. "I get called The Alarm wherever I go regardless of what I try to do because my face and voice are synonymous with the band," Peters told POLLSTAR, "and obviously, all of the things that I have done in my career harken back to that time." Peters left the group in 1991 and effectively put an end to the somewhat popular '80s rock act. Saying the other group members -- Sharp, drummer Nigel Twist and bassist Eddie MacDonald -- wanted to continue without him, he relinquished his rights to the name and logos to his bandmates. "When I gave Dave, Nigel and Eddie the name of the band, it was because they wanted to carry on without me. They didn't and I couldn't just sit back and have all my songs gathering dust. They were supposed to do me the honor of promoting those songs for 10 years, and they haven't done it," Peters said. Sharp, who has developed a solo career since the split, wants a clear-cut billing for Peters that would eliminate any chance of confusion. "If it was a billing that there was absolutely no doubt that you're coming to see Mike Peters singing Alarm songs, we have no objection to that whatsoever," he said. "They're great songs; they should be out there being played," Sharp continued. "The rest of the band, we don't feel like touring right now. If Mike wants to go out and tour the songs, that's fine, as long as people aren't led to believe they are going to be seeing a reunification of the band -- which has never been ruled out, by the way." Artists Worldwide owner Chris Maggiore, who handles Peters' booking, said he has not had a complaint from a promoter or fan concerning the latest version of The Alarm. "There have been no problems with any of these promoters, no problems with any of the fans asking for refunds or anything like that," he said. Peters wrapped up a U.S. tour under The Alarm 2001 banner last month and launches a brief solo acoustic tour next month. "Given the state of affairs at the minute, I'm going to be very anxious to see the promotional material ahead of time for the upcoming tour," Sharp said. "If we don't agree with it, we're going to issue an injunction." Peters is saddened by the opposition he's
encountered over his project, but he vows to continue promoting the group's music. "I think if an Alarm fan went to see The Alarm without Mike Peters, who's getting ripped off?"

The legacy of 80's/early 90's politically charged band
The Alarm still lives on through frontman Mike Peters. The Welsh singer/
songwriter has brought to the road the greatest hits of the admired act with
a full band supporting him for the first time. Peters says that the current
The Alarm 2001 tour is the type of outing the original lineup (Dave Sharp,
Eddie MacDonald, and Nigel Twist) should have done before breaking up in
1991. "This tour is the kind of tour The Alarm never actually did in the
first generation. We never went out and played the greatest hits tour. We
always had new music to convey, we always had a new album out, so that took
center stage. Where as this time, I'm able to just go through the catalog,
choose the best songs we ever recorded or played live, and so it's a massive
experience. It's something we never ever did, so it's great for the fans,
absolutely." Fans should go to thealarm.com for upcoming shows and events as
well finding out about getting a personal dedication from Mike Peters of
your favorite Alarm song. (Bonus Actuality #4)

(NEW YORK) - The Alarm's Mike Peters will mark the 20th anniversary of his former band with the Alarm Anniversary World Tour. The solo acoustic jaunt will touch down for a pair of dates May 15-16 in Rome and a hometown celebration June 9 in Rhyl, Wales, followed by a five-date tour of the U.S. The celebration in Rhyl comes 20 years to the weekend of the first ever Alarm concert, while the June 15 stop at the Coach House in San Juan Capistrano, Calif., is notable as it was the location of the Alarm's last ever concert in America.

Formed from the ashes of Peters and drummer Nigel Twist's punk outfit The Toilets, and briefly known as Seventeen, the band debuted as The Alarm in 1981. Rounded out by guitarist Dave Sharp and bassist Eddie MacDonald, the Alarm went on to record five studio albums for IRS, and achieve considerable international success. "Strength," released in 1986, was the band's highest charting set in the U.S., reaching No. 39 on The Billboard 200.

The anniversary shows will feature Peters performing Alarm songs and sharing stories of his 10 years with the band. Fans familiar with Peters' penchant for performing will not be surprised to hear that he's expecting to put on lengthy shows for each night of this look back at his career. "It's going to be split into sections," Peters tells Billboard.com, "with a chance for me to perform some rare stuff from the archives." He continues, "It will be a bit behind-the-scenes, with stories and anecdotes between the songs. There's also going to be a visual aspect of it, with photos of the band, and the whole thing will start with a short film of the band as Seventeen from 1980, when we were on tour with the Stray Cats in Europe."

Although it's a solo show, he says such elements will keep the focus on the band as a whole. "Without being able to get the original lineup together, which has proved impossible, I think that this the best way to do it," he says. That said, while Peters is not expecting his former cohorts to join him, he wouldn't mind if any one of them decided to drop in. "They've all had an invite," he says, stressing that the four are still friendly. "But there's nothing planned." Since the demise of the Alarm in 1991, Peters has recorded several solo albums, toured relentlessly, and formed a band with Cult guitarist Billy Duffy dubbed Coloursound, currently on hiatus while Duffy is working with the reunited Cult and Peters is concentrating on his solo work.

A Coloursound album was released in Europe, which Peters expects to issue in the U.S. sometime this year. A compilation of unreleased Seventeen tracks is also in the offing. Last year Peters toured under the Alarm 2000 banner backed by guitarist James Stevenson (Generation X, Gene Loves Jezebel), bassist Richard Llewellyn, and drummer Steve Grantley (Stiff Little Fingers). This year, as Alarm 2001, Peters recently finished a round of U.S. club dates, and plans to be back on the road in the U.S. later this summer. (Billboard.com)

Well, I must say, 15 years and it was well worth the wait. My first Alarm
show and it was amazing. Mike, your voice still sounds great after all these years. The band was very tight and seemed to be having a lot of fun. Nik

I just wanted to drop a line and say how much I enjoyed the show at Alley
Katz last night. I've waited seventeen years to see The Alarm, and it was
tremendous to get to hear all of those great songs in such an intimate
setting. I'm thrilled that you were able to get control of your catalogue
back and put out the boxed set with all of the extra tracks. I hope to pick
that up very soon. Best of luck to you on the rest of the tour and with
continuing the story of The Alarm in the future.

Sincerely,
W Wells

Not to kiss ass, but you have been a huge inspiration to me for years and last night really gave me a charge. If I don't hear from you, just let me say "Thanks" for keeping true to your vision and giving us all something strong to believe in.

A lifelong fan, (who is still hoarse from singing along...)

P Kaufman


The show was awesome. Mike hasn't sounded better. The band sounded great too. Nice to hear some songs I didn't here on the 80's tours. Nice one. Here's hoping Sharpy and the others come on sometime in the future. Long live the Alarm.
C C, Atlanta


Thanks for playing your heart out in Chicago, at the Elbo Room!
The Alarm has always been my all time favorite band, and it was great to see your enthusiasm again for life!
God Bless! Let us know of future shows, WE WILL TRAVEL!


Hey Mike. Just wanted to let you know the show last night, April 20th, at the
Cotton Club in Atlanta was great. I was right up front and I had a great
time. I have been a fan for 20 years but this was the first chance I've had
to see you live and you did not disappoint. Even my girlfriend who had not
ever heard you guys before she met me loved it. I hope that someday I will
get a chance to see all four of you back together. Thanks again for the great
show and hope the tour goes well.

Your fan,
J C


PS I really am enjoying the box set. Good work my friend.


Fabulous show!!! And thanks again for the interview
this afternoon for EAR CANDY, I'll let you know when
that issue is out. It will also have my review of the
show!

What a great show tonight...it did what a good rock
show SHOULD do-totally wear you out, ha ha! Seriously,
one of the BEST shows I've seen ever.

R D


Just had to say what a great show mike peters and the alarm 2001 put on last
saturday in niagara falls, ny (april 14, 2001). no one else compares to the
passion, intensity and conviction that mike pours into performing his music.
hard to believe that some of the songs are 20 years old...

as the band launched into their raucous, working class anthems, it was
apparent that the music was right at home. niagara falls, buffalo, and
western new york, at one time a jewel for the blue-collar working man/woman,
has long time since become a used up shell and dumping ground for industry
and corporate greed and mismanagement. if anyone's songs of blue-collar
angst and hope belong here, it's the alarm's...

what really topped off the evening for me, was mike's humility.
you can tell that it's all about the music without the trappings of trying
to be a "rock star" or something stupid like that. it's art. it's this
attitude and craft that inspire me in my own musical endeavors. and having
to get to meet mike afterwards and share a few awkward words of, "hey, man
that was a great show," and "you're one of my biggest inspirations - thanks
for coming through here," it was nice to know that your heroes truely are
approachable, real people who are equally appreciative and don't take their
audience for granted.

also, i took a chance and bought "flesh and blood." i was skeptical, but
i'm a sucker for anything that hints of being raw and acoustic. it has fast
become one of my favorite albums of the year. the strings definitly add a
richness to the songs.

again, thanks for bringing the alarm 2001 through niagara falls/buffalo, ny.

-s r

Dave Sharp recently posted this through 3rd-party to the alarm message board ay Yahoo Groups:


I'd like to clarify any issues arising from comments made by me in a
recently issued press release. This release is a response to a number
of concerned inquiries I received in recent months, from both the press
and public alike, who were disappointed that neither Twist, Eddie, or
myself appeared with Mike at recent concerts advertised as The Alarm. I
would like to make it clear that there has been and is no agreement with
Twist, Eddie, or myself to collectively tour with Mike as The Alarm at
present. I hope that all of you who attend the concerts enjoy
yourselves, and I look forward to any discussions with Mike regarding
future Alarm touring plans. The band itself currently remains on hiatus
while members pursue their respective solo activities. It was great to
see Mike in New Orleans recently. I enjoyed our brief live performance
together at the Kerry Irish Pub and enjoyed talking with him the
following day. I was excited to hear of his ideas regarding future
projects involving myself and the lads.

I wish you all the best and look forward to seeing you soon.

Thank you all once again for supporting the recent "Rock the City"
concerts. I'm happy to announce that a large amount of money was raised
for the charities concerned as a result of your participation.

Keep the faith,

Dave

Mike Peters - Declaration

Dear All,

I am writing to you firstly to say thanks for all the support shown during
The Alarm 2001 Second Generation Tour, I hope you all had as much fun as I
did.

I have not written too many times on this digest before, but recent events
have forced me to break the silence.

It has been widely documented that I recently visited my old friend Dave
Sharp in New Orleans. The reason for my visit was to try and persuade him
one more time, in person, to join The Alarm 2001 Tour. Sadly my efforts were
not rewarded with a positive response. Dave once again passed over on my
offers in favour of staying on his own 'solo' path and planning for the
release of his new record. I tried to persuade Dave to do both, join the
tour and promote his solo work.

It broke my heart to leave Dave in New Orleans, especially when Dave warned
me that he would at some point in the not too distant future, be party to a
campaign aimed at hurting me in public. Upon leaving New Orleans I related
my fears to some friends of mine and Dave's closest confidantes but asked
for it to be kept amongst ourselves just in case Dave had a change of heart.

Sadly, it has come to pass that Dave has issued a press release to certain
'music industry' magazines accusing me of wrongfully using the name of The
Alarm. Please don't be too 'alarmed' by this, as according to Dave this is
his way of raising his profile within the music industry as he and his
management team attempt to 'shop' a new record deal for Dave's 'Sugarland'
project. Dave also told me that "it is nothing personal", he just wants to
perpetrate a Page/Plant, Townshend/Daltrey, Jagger/Richards kind of public
spat.

However, I cannot just sit back and suffer in silence. Once again, I am
perfectly within my legal write to tour and promote my work under The Alarm
2000/2001 banner. In 1991, I was forced to commit career suicide and I am
not going to sit back anymore and be used as a punchbag in public. I will
not let what happened to me in 1991 happen again.

It is tragic that Dave has taken this action, especially when we had 'all'
been working together towards some new 'Alarm' releases. A live anthology
from 1981-1991 was being planned, a release of all the Seventeen music is in
the offing and the anniversary of The Alarm is just around the corner. I
have been in recent correspondence with both Nigel and Eddie, and both have,
in their own ways, sent "good luck on the tour" messages to me. Even Dave
wished me luck on the tour whilst I was in New Orleans. I don't know what
will become of these projects now, but I'm sure that both Nigel and Eddie
want them to continue, I know I do, and I will continue working towards
their future release.

I feel like I have said enough for now, I have been sent a copy of the Dave
Sharp press release by Pollstar magazine and I have posted it below so that
you can read it for yourselves. They have asked me for a response and I have
given them one.

Personally, I believe Dave does not need to resort to these kind of tactics,
and I have told him so. I have also told Dave that my door will always be
open to him, he will always be my friend. I have tried a thousand times to
create a situation that would bring about the reformation of The Alarm, I
have practically got down on my knees to Dave Sharp. I gave them the name of
The Alarm in 1991, because they were supposed to carry on, they didn't. The
opportunity to reform has been there for many years but has never happened
because of Dave Sharp, and Dave Sharp alone.

Since the inception of The Alarm 2000/2001 the work of The Alarm is being
heard again, on CD, in stores, on the radio, on television and on the stage,
I am not going to let this action of Dave's bring me or it down again. "You
never thought I knew what was going on".... well you do now.

With the greatest respect,

Mike Peters

Wales 3rd May 2001


---------------------------------------
Wales 3rd May 2001

Please review the following press release I recently received from a
representative of Dave Sharp. I'm curious to hear your response. Pollstar
will likely follow this lead for a story.

Please contact me at your earliest convenience. Thank you.

Best wishes,

Martin Reed
News & Features Writer
Pollstar

------------------------------------------



FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

For more information contact:
Bill Paige
773.973.3353

False 'Alarm' Could Draw Legal Fire

The ALARM sounded the final chords of their hit song "Blaze of Glory" on a
London stage in July, 1991. Mike Peters, former lead singer of the
Eighties rock band, calmly announced that this would be his final
performance with the ALARM. His announcement was received with dead
silence by the 4,000 fans in attendance. As Dave Sharp says, "The band
felt that they'd been stopped dead in their tracks with a 40-ton road
roller. I turned in shock to Nigel and Eddie and said, 'Get on with the
next song!'"

Mike Peters' explanation to the band? "I see no future for the ALARM, no
future for the music we're doing." Mike willingly rescinded all of his
rights to the use of the band's name and the graphic symbols now synonymous
with the ALARM.

Dave Sharp, Nigel Twist, and Eddie MacDonald (current members of the ALARM)
were astounded when they heard, from various fans, that a new ALARM tour
and record were underway, with Mike Peters fronting the project. Dave
Sharp: "The road roller had struck again. We simply could not believe it
when we read that Mike was declaring that he had always been the main
creative force behind the band and that he now saw a future for the band's
music. It is well known that the creative energy of the band relied
heavily on contributions from all four band members.

Even more disturbing is Mike Peters' flagrant disregard for the agreement
he willingly signed in 1991 after his abrupt departure, acknowledging that
the three of us were now The ALARM and had exclusive rights to band name,
etc."With Peters currently touring the United States under an ALARM banner,
using the band's name and likeness for promotional purposes, it certainly
looks like the ALARM are headed for troubles of now legendary PINK FLOYD
proportions.

Dave and the band are actively pursuing issuing an injunction to prevent
any further abuse by Peters of the good will associated with the band's
name and likeness. If Mike now sees a future for the band, Dave, Twist,
and Eddie have repeatedly stated they would pick up the phone and consider
any proposal to bring out some new ALARM music.

Since 1991, Dave Sharp has toured in the US with Suzanne Vega, Willie
Nelson, and the members of Santana, and has released two solo albums, Hard
Travelin' (1991) and Downtown America (1995). He is currently living,
writing, performing and recording in New Orleans with his new project,
SUGARLAND.

For management, contact Andy Frances at afrances@mediaone.net.

Latest Dave Sharp music can be found at http://www.davesharp.org Click
MP3; user name and login, type: usa

Read on for more Alarming feedback...

In regard to the show on Long Island at the Vanderbuilt in Plainview on
Friday, April 13.

The show was OUTSTANDING! It was great to hear and see songs performed that
I have loved for so long, including a number of B-sides. I saw The Alarm
only once (Opening for Bob Dylan years ago at Jones Beach) and although the
original lineup is no longer there, Mike and the rest of the band really out
did themselves Friday night. I am sure I am not the only one who has yet to
regain their voice from all the singing along we did.

Anyway, many thanks and good luck. Hope to see another show soon.

Long Time Fan
Kirk


Mike,

Thanks for a great show on Friday night at the Vanderbuilt, my sister, my
fiance' and I had a great time and thought you guys sounded great.

Thanks also for giving us a few minutes of your time after the show, we were
lucky enough to catch up with you backstage and we really appreciated the photo
you took with us as well as the autographs you signed.

Most importantly, it is really a nice feeling to know that someone who's music
and entertainment you enjoy so much is so sincere and interested in his fans.
As I told you I first experienced your music at the ACT theater in Hempstead
Long Island back on the Eye of The Hurricane Tour: I was not that familiar with
your material at the time but was so charged up after the show that I went out
the next day and bought your whole catalogue on cassette. I played it
incessantly around the house (hence my sister's presence on Friday night) and
saw you live a handful of times after that, including with the New Poets of
Freedom at Mulchahey's n LI as well. I was hooked. Then a few years ago I was
browsing a record shop and came across a copy of Feel Free, which turned me on
to MPO and the web site. After this I searched high and low for the rest of
your Alarm material on cd, so thank you very much for the time, expense and
effort you put into the release of the box set.

I am glad I found the website because it has led me to alot of the great music
you made after the Alarm years. I must say
that as far as I am concerned, Rise is one of the greatest songs I have ever
heard and as I mentioned Friday "No Better Than This" will play a part in my
upcoming wedding, as will "My Calling".

Again Mike, thanks for a great show and many great years of music. I look
forward to the acoustic show you are doing on June 23rd, and will see you then.
Have a great rest of the tour.

With great respect,
J L



My husband and I loved the show at the Vanderbilt Friday night. We hope
to catch the Underground show also. I the Poets of Justice show a few
years back and that was great also. I am so sick of bad music on the
radio, I hope they play more Alarm songs.


Hey Mike,

I was at the show at the Vanderbilt on Friday the 13th. All I can say is
WOW!!!!!!
Great hearing your voice is as good as it was in the mid 80's.

I wasn't going to write, but the weekend had a bittersweet ending. My 2
favorite bands of all time are the Alarm and the Ramones. After Friday's
show, I ran into an old friend and we talked about how great it would be for
the Ramones to a reunion show when Joey got better. As you are aware, he
passed away and now that wish will not happen. Makes me appreciate your show
that much more. I hope to get out to the show in Bayside on the 28th and
your acoustic show in June.
Thanks again
D R
Bethpage, NY


Recently saw the show at TT's in Cambridge and it was, as usual ( although a long time coming) amazing! I first saw The Alarm in 1985 at The Orpheum in Boston, then again in 1986 at
that same venue. Sadly though, that was the last time I attended one of your
shows, since last week that is.

I'm turning 36 years old today and I'm simply writing to say thanks Mike.
Not just thanks for the killer, rocking show but for all the terriffic songs
you've written over the years. I was 18 the first time I heard an Alarm song
and found what you were saying and the band was playing was what myself and
many of my friends were all feeling. And if there is one thing missing from
the radio airwaves today, it's PASSION, PASSION, PASSION!!! And you guys had
- still do! I'm a writer myself and hopefully very soon will see my first
novel published. As a teenager I was heavily influenced by Ray Davies (my
favorite songwriter) and Pete Townshend and then found the punk scene soon
thereafter. You, Mr. Peters, had a major impact on me as I was searching for
my own identity in the "Yuppy Scum" dominated 80's. And once again,
simply...thank you.

I purchased Declaration on the way out of the show (22 cuts..are you fucking
kidding me?) and blew out a speaker on the ride home to Worcester that night.
It was well worth it though as it once again reaffirmed in me just how good
rock music can be, as well reminding me that there once was a time when poets
romed the dark stages of our imaginations. You are a poet.


So tell me Mike...who WOULD be a patriot at the price of humanity?


Thanks again,

D


Dear Mike,

WOOOOOOOOWWWWW! OH MY GOD-WHAT A SHOW! I was at Vanderbilt last night and you really rocked. the show far exceeded any expectations that I had.(haven't seen the Alarm since you opened for Bob Dylan in St. Louis, Missouri in '88) ITS SO GREAT TO SEE YOU UP THERE TOTALLY LOVING WHAT YOUR DOING. IT MADE ME RECOMMIT MY LIFE TO LIVING FOR HAPPINESS AND EXCELLENCE IN ALL THAT I DO (IM ONE STEP CLOSER)--REALLY THAT INSPIRATIONAL.
Sincerely,
M S, DC


I JUST WANTED TO SAY THANKS FOR A GREAT TIME AND LOOK FORWARD TO SEEING YOU
AGAIN. B Q



Thanks for the great show at TT's in Cambridge. Mike and the band sounded awesome. Mike's enthusiasm is truly inspiring. Nice to meet and talk to Jules, keep up the good work. The acoustic works 1981-1986 is excellent, hope to pick up the other one next time. May make the trip to Poughkeepsie on the 28th, if not definitely on the return to TT's in June (hope that gets confirmed). Jules did a good job of convincing us to go to the gathering. Thanks again. Zeke.



Integrity.

The title of your next album should be that one word.

Last weekend I caught your show at The Vanderbilt on Long Island, NY (USA),
and was completely blown away. I have to admit that I had been slowly losing
faith in music. And for good reason. I got tired of seeing the onslaught of
boy bands trying to out "Britany" each other. I got saddened by the surge in
bands coming out of "retirement" to launch reunion tours. I got tired of rap
artists trying to out curse each other. It had become clear to me that all
of these groups shared one thing - they were in it for the money and the
fame. Not for the music.

I have to admit that I was, as a result, skeptical and a little fearful of
going to see you. I remembered the days when I'd see The Alarm and leave
inspired. I've played your records (CDs) over the years and felt the impact
of the words and music. In fact, "Walk Forever By My Side" was my wedding
song. I still remember the first time I saw you - at the SUNY Albany
"Mayfest" celebration back in the mid 1980's. You were incredible.

Well the good news is, you are still incredible. You still rock (even more
so!). The passion, energy and dedication were unchanged from when I saw you
over 15 years ago. And it's because of INTEGRITY. In your music. In your
dedication to your fans. In your passion. In the 150% effort you put into
your shows. And it is something that not only the music industry needs more
of, but the world in general.

When I sing along to "Closer To Home" or "Marching On," I still get moved.
And that's a powerful thing.

So thank you. For staying true. For keeping the passion alive. For
reminding all of us that it's ok to get old, but it's not ok to get
complacent.

And above all, for the Integrity of The Alarm.

Keep marching on, and come back to NY soon or I'll have to come kick your
ass.

Peace.

S M



Hi, I saw your show at the NorVa last night. My friend brought me, hes a real
big fan but I have never listened to you before. I just wanted to write and
tell you that I loved your show, it was great. K J

Thanks for the great show in Norfolk. I had a blast watching you guys
tearing it up! Your were and still are, a great band. I am not very
impressed with the new music out there today, but I'm glad The Alarm is
still around to keep me somewhat sane.
Thanks again and hope to see you back this way again.
Chuc

Mr. Peters,
I caught your show at the Norva/April 18th.

While standing there in the middle of the floor, wonderful memories
of the eighties came to mind. I found myself singing most of the
songs and smiling. Thanks for the memories!!!

P T

Hey Mike!

Just wanted to let you know that a friend and I went to see you at the NORVA in Norfolk, VA the other night.. Your show was incredible! We had gone to Prince the night before, but we honestly had a better time watching you play. It was neat to see someone with so much energy perform and be glad to be where they were as opposed to having attitude about singing the same songs over and over. You were so humble. You guys were great. It brought back so many memories! Can't wait to see you this summer!
K L


hi mike- i was at the richmond, virginia show last night. at first i was upset to hear that the others were not along with you. the replacements you chose did a fine job though, and your performance and energy was extraordinary(i have been a fan since 1985) i know that richmond isn't the greatest music town around, but you acted as if you were in a packed venue and that is what a true professional does. i have a question for you- who was playing bass with you? he is great, and perfect for your band. i noticed craig adams was part of the touring band, but that didnt look like him(i loved the mission uk also). thanks again for keeping the fire burning. i really miss bands that not only can rock, but also have a message and write powerful, moving music. keep up the good work and take care of yourself-you look great!


mike-

hello. just wanted to let you know that last night's show in richmond was
excellent. too many acts these days intentionally build that wall between
the stage and the audience (i'm thinking mainly of the "manchester attitude"
of bands like oasis and the charlatans. you know, acting pissed off at the
crowd and standing on stage with ian brown-pretensions.) last night, you
guys reminded me of travis, a band that loves to play live and who are
always enthusiastic about their music and their fans. keep it up.

i was familiar with some of the alarm's tunes before the gig last night, but
now i need to buy some of your CDs. where would you suggest that i start --
"declaration"?

anyway, thanks for putting on the best show that i've seen in a while. and
thanks for coming to richmond. not many bands do.

good luck with the rest of the tour.

sincerely,
jc

The Alarm

Twenty years ago on June 10th 1981 The Alarm sounded for the very first
time.......

Now two decades later, Mike Peters will honour the twenty year anniversary
of The Alarm by playing a series of special acoustic events. The Alarm. All
shows will feature two very long acoustic sets filled with personal
recollections, visual projections and songs drawn from the critically
acclaimed Alarm 2000 box set collection.

The show at Rhyl Town Hall on Saturday June 9th 2001, promises to be extra
special indeed, as this is being held in the hometown of The Alarm and as
close as possible to the exact date of the very first Alarm show. A series
of events will take place throughout the day beginning with the world
premiere of a live film of Seventeen shot in December 1980, a guided tour of
Rhyl and Prestatyn, taking in all the alarming sights and sounds of the area
including a stop at the venue that hosted that first Alarm show. Mike Peters
will then perform two long acoustic shows in the round, the first focusing
on The Alarm 1981-1986 and the second The Alarm 1987-1991 finishing at
Midnight -the exact twenty year birthday of The Alarm. At another
undisclosed venue, a late night party will be held with Mike Peters as your
host D.J. Call 011 44 [0] 1745 571571 for ticket information (Ticket price
£20 plus £1 booking fee). A cut down version of this event will be presented
at all other venues, where time and technology allow:

The Alarm

An evening with Mike Peters celebrating 20 years of The Alarm featuring an
acoustic presentation of the complete works of The Alarm 1981-1991

2 acoustic sets / songs and stories / projections / recollections

May 15 - 16 . Big Mama . Rome . Italy . [+39 0522 886 879]

Saturday June 9 . Town Hall . Rhyl . Wales . [b/o 011 44 [0] 1745 571571]

Wednesday June 13 . T.T.'s . Boston . Massachussetts . USA . [b/o 617 492
0082]

Friday June 15 . Coachhouse . Capistrano . California . USA . [b/o 949 496
8930]

Monday June 18 . Knitting Factory . Hollywood . California . USA [b/o 323
463 0204]

Wednesday June 20 . Elbo room . Chicago . Illinois . USA . [b/o 773 549
5549]

Saturday June 23 . Village Underground . New York . New York . USA . [b/o
212 254 1725]

Doors 7.30 n.b. Mike Peters will be on stage early no support

In the poppy fields..... I remember

The Alarm 2000 Box set collection still continues to attract rave reviews.
Fans purchasing the box set during May / June will be offered the
opportunity to have their dedicated song recorded live during the
anniversary celebrations. To order your copy of the 150 song / 9 CD Alarm
2000 Collection which contains the complete recorded works of The Alarm
1981-1991 visit www.thealarm.com or call 011 44 [0] 1745 571571

In Nashville, TN, the legendary producer, Alan Shacklock showed up at the Alarm 2000 Show and joined Mike and the boys on stage for a fast paced version of 'This Train is Bound for Glory'. Mike paid tribute to Alan and his contribution to The Alarm's career with his production of Declaration.

We survived the trip to Chicago. You see, it helps the fact that we all get on. So, life on the bus is pretty cosy - it's our cocoon. Sometimes we don't like to leave the cocoon because we feel very safe there. When we arrived
outside the Elbo Room we were greeted by 2 hilarious posters: one advertising all original members (very naughty); and the other advertising Mike Peters, James Stevenson, Richard Llewellyn and Steve Grantley - talk
about covering all your bases!

The Elbo Room was very cosy and immediately we all recognised that we were in for a treat. James and I were also perked up by the presence of many micro brews. At the Elbo Room we were greeted by superfan, Terry Flynn and family who had driven from Detroit for the show. It's always good to have people greeting you at the shows - remember, it can often feel like the new kids on the block, arriving into a new town - it always helps to see a
familiar face. Terry made us feel right at home, especially with the presentation of an awesome cake for my birthday on the 16th - thanks Terry!!!

Terry was a sweetheart and helped me out on the MPO desk which was especially helpful as I had a rather pressing emergency Sharpening Meeting with Chief President and Alarm 2000 Guitarist, James Stevenson. The show was excellent tonight, crammed to the roof with hungry Illinois fans. What a great city!!!! The night passed far too quickly and James, Steve, Mike and
I (Chief Sharpeners) found ourselves in a top Chicago Club (courtesy of friend and Smashing Pumpkins cohort, Tommy Lipnick - thanks Tommy). Too many Tequila Sunrises later (late Sharpener!), we all found ourselves, albeit drunkedly back at the hotel. 4am. Rock'n roll - I know - glamorous life :)

Chicago was a blast - luckily enough Mike and I will be back in the Windy City in June - see you then!!!!

Regards,

Miss. Jules

Read on to discover what the fans say after seeing Mike and Alarm 2001 on
the East Coast Second Generation Tour!.....


I just caught you last week at the Station in
West Warwick, Rhode Island. Wow, what a show! You sounded great!
I would really like to thank-you for a kick-ass show, you played with a lot
of energy! We don't get much good music coming through Rhode Island and
often bands don't play hard in our little state! I truly appreciate the
energy and effort: YOU ROCK! J. SULLIVAN, RI



I just wanted to say thank you for the amazing show that was put on by all
the band despite the horrible accident that happened. It really shows
dedication and valiant spirit to have continued the show and still taken the
time out to meet with fans after the performance. I was lucky enough to get
Mike Peter's autograph after the show and I was very impressed at how much
he interacted with the fans. It's really a rare thing these days.

I have been a long-time Alarm fan and it was a night that I shall remember
always!! It was also my first time seeing them and it was just incredible.

Sincerely, K Hanak, New Jersey



I just wanted you to know how unbelievable your show was the other night
in Springfield VA. I went to it thinking that it would just be nostalgic
(I had seen the alarm twice in 1988) and fun. However, when you started
with Marching On I knew I was in for a lot more than I expected. I was
absolutely blown away by the band and how good everyone sounded. Also,
your projections from the stage were awesome. The friend who I had brought
(he only knew a couple of Alarm songs) commented to me how cool it
was to see someone who really came across as passionate and genuine as you
did. We could tell how much you loved doing what you do and that made the
show so wonderful.

Great show and please let me know if you will release it on cd.

Regards, J Bullington, VA



Just a little note to thank you for a really fantastic show.
The Memories flooded back and the crowd were singing all the way home.
Mike you have not changed you are still the same guy I remember from
school, you are an amazing person. Thank you again for such an uplifting
experience and Yes Rhyl boys never
change.

M Reed, Chicago

WOW! It's 10hours later and I'm still buzzing!
Thanks for a fantastic show at the Elbo Room Chicago
last night, you belted out some real crackers from the
archives, it amazes me how you still sound so good! I
can't believe how lucky I've been since moving to
Chicago, I've seen you up close & personal twice
within 2years! A bit different to the times when I
saw The Alarm at Cornwall Coliseum in St.Austell! Keep
on coming back we're converting more each time!

My '91 T-shirt is still drenched in sweat, my legs
hurt from pogoing, my hands are bruised from clapping
and I've lost my voice from singing, but I haven't
stopped smiling since the first chord of "March On"!
For half an hour after Blaze Of Glory people were
coming up to me saying "you really love The Alarm
don't you".

Thanks and Keep on Rocking,
Simon , Chicago



I wanted to let you know that I had a really great time at the Alarm concert
in Towson, MD last week, April 4, 2001. I was the fan who bought a box set
and Mike invited me up on stage to personally dedicate "One Step Closer" to
my wife. (If I'd have known I could give the dedication personally, I would
have tried to come up with something a little better than I did! :) But I
was amazed and thrilled that Mike just invited me up, that was just so cool.
I haven't told my wife yet, because I'm waiting for the disc to arrive in
the mail, and play it for her, but I know she'll be blown away. I met
another guy there in the front row that had been to the Gathering and when I
jumped back into the crowd, he said "That was definitely worth $150!" He
was right! I'll remember that for a long, long time.

Thanks a lot, you guys are great! K Valentine, MD


I want to say thanks for your gig last night at Elbo Room. AMAZING!!! I
wasn't sure what to expect, but it blew me away!! I'd managed to catch you
a couple of times over the past few years -- Guiness Fleagh was one -- and
figured that it'd be you and your guitar. Much to my suprise, you had a
full band and YOU GUYS ROCKED!! Seriously, it was quite inspiring. It
reminded me of the original inspiration for me to live my life the way I do
today -- day by day, enjoy the moments when you are in them, make the most
of your time here, etc. That original inspiration being Alarm concerts.
You were always so genuinely appreciative of the audience and knew that if
anyone in the audience had a microcosm of your talent, we'd be up there
doing our thing also. The audiences always fed off that. Last night, you
and your band played with such fervor, excitement, and passion. The crowd
definitely felt it and all the 30 somethings, including myself, just let
themselves go and joined you for the ride. Absolutely amazing experience
-- Thank you!


Just saw you all in Cambridge MA last night and must say it was pure
heaven!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Thanks so much
for continuing to do what you do and so well, at that! I'm putting the word
out that you're back in June.
Cannot wait!

Take care, KMK, MA



Thanks for putting on such a f- - -ing great show at TT The Bears Place
last night. I know you're on the road and meet so many fans, but I just
wanted to say "thank you."

Sincerely, S Prygoda Boston MA

THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU to Mike Peters for bringing his Alarm 2001
Tour to Chicago on April 9, 2001. I am still reeling from that amazing show
and I hope that this signals a new beginning for him and the current Alarm
members.
I have seen five Alarm shows and a couple of Mike's "solo" shows and I have
to say that this was by far one of the greatest shows I have ever seen in my
life. As I walked out of the building with my best friend, all I could say
was "U2 is gonna have to work REALLY hard to impress me now". And I meant
it. Still do.
THANK YOU, again, for the chance to see this amazing band and to revel once
more in Mike's amazing songs, voice and talent.

Sincerely, J Dowling, Peotone, IL



I caught the show in Springfield, Virginia last Saturday night. Great show,
the dedications were a special touch. It's great to see you on the road,
since I missed the Alarm the first times around. Rock on.

M Young VA

I just want to tell you that you put on a damn great show. I Bought the box
set, and i was very pleased that you did my dedication. You did a great
rendition of Spirit of '76?

Thank You for giving me the love for music that i have, i have been
listening to you since 1981, you have given me 20 years of great music.

Thanx S Kurtz


I just wanted to send you a quick e-mail to tell you I saw you at TT the
bears in boston a few nights ago. I was expecting to see "Mike with a crappy
back up band playing some out of date tunes" Man was I in for a surprise.
Your back up band kicks ass! That was an awesome show and I can't wait to
see
you again when you come back. My buddies and I were big fans growing up, I
still swear I can distinctly hear myself screaming on Electric Folklore
during Rescue Me. I'm sorry Dave and the other boys aren't with you but your
back up band certainly holds their own. Keep up the good work, can't wait to
see you guys again!
J E Ma

Wow...that's all I can pretty much say. What an amazing show. The sound
(my ears are still ringing), the fury...just everything was absolutely
brilliant. The 3 or 4 warm up acts were ok, I really didn't see them all or
care for that matter. When Mike & the boys hit the stage, all bets were
off. They totally rocked, rocked, rocked the venue last night.

I don't know enough superlatives to define this show and how I felt about
it, I was and still am in awe! Marshall

It was 10pm by the time we drew up into what seemed like a shopping mall ummmm.... We had performed 3 shows and this was our 3rd tour bus of the tour! We piled out like refugees and had a good old chuckle at the nearby 'Kabob' restaurant (How Craig Adams would have loved that - a kebab shop at an American show!). It's at times like this that you question the Agent's integrity... questions and mutterings of 'What the f*ck are we doing in a shopping mall in West Springfield sting the heavy air...? ' NEVER judge by appearances. As I stepped in through the door I was transported into a perfect rock'n roll venue - packed with people, as the support band , Eccentrics rocked the house (and they were actually pretty good, considering I've had the misfortune to suffer some torturous support bands). I knew instantly that this was going to be a good night.

The support band had already taken over the merchandise desk where a rather buxom lady stood in charge. I smiled sweetly and wondered how my co-operative discourse technique would work on her ie. 'Could you please move your stuff and make way for the Queen Merch Bird and her mini department store?" She was very co-operative to be fair and even helped me with my lilac suitcase.

We all sprang into action. I was selling box sets like they were going out of fashion whilst Mike J, Rider and Chris were setting up the stage and preparing the sound. James, Steve and Dick were preparing themselves with a few sharpeners whilst Mike and his Diet Coke were in the dressing room experimenting with a few new tunes.

The owner of the club, which was called Jaxx was named Jay Nedry. He was a very effervescent hospitable kind of guy and did everything in his power to make us feel at home. I can't tell you what a difference that makes. Thanks Jay.

After the events of the last few days, there was a heady atmosphere and together with the eager audience, the band put on a great show. Songs dedicated tonight included Walk Forever, A New South Wales, Rain in the Summertime and Spirit of 76 (where a longtime fan and radio DJ by the name of 'Nasty Nestor' from Baltimore, joined Mike on stage to sing a couple of verses of Spirit - to be fair he did remarkably well).

I met some lovely new fans (all male and none of Italian origin :) - Ben , Blake, Stephen, Pete - all of whom knew nothing about the MPO and www.thealarm.com They do now. Cathy and Richard Nagel (whom I had met before) had a beautiful touching dedication of Walk Forever by Mike for their wedding later this year..

Reminded me of our wedding back in 1988 when we also had Walk Forever at our wedding - shame it was written before my time :0) but Mike assures me it's more of a hymn than a love song. Good answer, Mike. Whatever, it's a beautiful song and always brings me out in goosebumps, no matter how many times I hear it played...

After the show, we were all up for a bit of a booze, courtesy of Jay. One of the perks of being in a band is that you hardly ever have to buy your own drinks. We were all plied with liqour and delicious food and even Mike relinquished the Diet Coke in favour of a few glasses of fizzy booze.

We were driven back to the Hotel, happy campers, by the Rider of the Night (Rider rarely boozes) all enlivened by a great night of rockin' and rollin, too happy to take on board the reality of the colossal drive ahead to Chicago the following day...

Onwards and westwards,

Miss. Jules Booze x

The Alarm 2000 show at 2001 Monkey Business, Hilton Head Island, SC on April 17th was cancelled due to a power-shortage at the veue. It has been rescheduled for April 25th. All tickets for the 17th show will be honored.

The veneu for the April 28, Voodoo Lounge, Bayside, NY show has been moved. The new venue information is:

LAKESIDES 260 SMITHTOWN
BLVD IN NESCONSET LONG ISLAND SATURDAY APRIL 28TH DOORS ARE 8PM ADM $15.TICKETS AT THE DOOR ONLY

MPO is proud to announce Mike Peters' Italian Tour. Mike will be celebrating
20 years of The Alarm with a special 2 day concert in Rome. Please visit
www.cycpromotions.com for further ticket information and venue location.

15/5 Roma Big Mama www.bigmama.it www.bigmama.it
16/5 Roma Big Mama www.bigmama.it www.bigmama.it
17/5 Piancastagnaio (SI) Tana del Ragno
18/5 Cavriago (RE) Calamita www.calamita.net www.calamita.net
19/5 Bolzano Circolo Masetti
20/5 Padova "Banale" www.soltecweb.it/banale www.soltecweb.it/banale

Feedback on the East Coast US Second Generation Tour

'A friend of mine told me you guys were playing at the Station so some of us
went down and checked it out. Great show. Its great to see someone animate
the audience the way you do... Keep on rocking.'
M. W. Rhode Island

'Just a quick note to let you know that I thought you guys sounded awesome
last night. Lots of energy and very clean. Your passion for the music is easy to feeland I wish you the best of luck on your tour dates along the east coast and
out to the heartland.'
C.C. Rhode Island

'The sound was INCREDIBLE, in fact, I hope I can get rid of the ringing in my ears before next Thursday so I don't have any trouble hearing at TT's! And the
playing was full of energy and in top form for every minute of the 1.5 hours they were on stage...and I do mean EVERY MINUTE...because Mike never stopped
singing, they just kept going from one to the next to the next...'
R.I.

'Your enthusiasm and passion for your music is, in my opinion, nothing short of amazing. The show was great: the sound was excellent -- good raw rock and roll. The energy was intense. Your voice was better then I remember it being. Thanks for a great night of music.'


'...the songs and the spirit you bring to us just get better and better as the time goes by. It's really wonderful to see a band perform with such passion when so much nowadays is so spiritually and emotionally vacant.'
J.R. MDM

'Thanks for the great show at the Station, Warwick, RI. 05 April 2001. Brought back some memories.'
D. RI

'I just wanted to say that I was very impressed with the show at the Station. Sometimes you see a show with an "80's Band" that doesn't really sound the same. You probably know what I mean. You still have the touch! Even without the rest of the Alarm members. By the way, the band you are touring with is
excellent! I felt rejuvenated after the show. It is nice to know that great bands & their music are still alive and well! Good luck to you and the future of the Alarm! I'll see you in Boston! And just about everywhere else locally that you visit! Rock on! '
-M P - Berkley, Massachusetts.

THE LINE between old and new is a touchy one for most musicians who made their name in the 1980s. Too much old stuff will launch cries of "nostalgia act," not enough risks alienating fans.

For Mike Peters, lead singer of '80s heroes the Alarm, known for hits such as "Rain in the Summertime" and "Strength," the line shouldn't exist at all.

"There's too many people who think the '80s produced nothing-I think it put out a helluva lot of great stuff," said Peters, calling from his home in Wales.

"But the naysayers win if we don't uphold it. I say I've got a massive history, and I think it's good to be proud of it. I refuse not to acknowledge the first 10 years of my musical life." However, Peters also refuses to get stuck in his past. Yes, this year he will tour with the Alarm, as well as release music from the pre-Alarm band Seventeen. He will also continue to work on a solo album, a side project called Coloursound with the Cult's Billy Duffy, and tour with a cast of other '80s survivors, such as Pete Wylie and the Sex Pistols' Glen Matlock in the band Dead Men Walking.

Though he was initially reluctant to head back to his Alarm roots, Peters has embraced them. Last year, he released "The Alarm 2000," a nine-CD box set of nearly all of the Alarm's songs, with a special 10th CD that includes an Alarm song Peters dedicates to each fan that buys the set.

"I used to hate doing dedications on stage," Peters said. "But it's been a massive education for me, and it goes back to what I wanted to do when I started -breaking that barrier down between the audience the artist." Fans ask Peters to dedicate such Alarm songs as "Walk Forever by My Side" for their weddings, and he has even recorded a version of the rousing "Blaze of Glory" for a fan who wants it played at his funeral.

"For me, it's a whole new way of presenting the music," Peters said. "It's incredibly intense now that I see the way that the Alarm was and is a part of people's lives." He hopes he will continue affecting people with his new music.

"Today, there's this belief that you're over when you get past 21," Peters said. "Even Madonna has been quoted as saying she hopes someone will rip the belly out of boy pop. Well, I've got my scalpel sharpened." The Alarm headlines Tri-State Sounds Showcase 3 at the Vanderbilt, 1600 Round Swamp Rd., Plainview, 516-694-6200, at 8 p.m. tomorrow. Tickets are $10 through TicketMaster, 631-888-9000.

If you missed the Alarm 2001 tour bus accident news, you can read it here Shock Start to the US Tour .

Jules Jones has updated her Jules News with this report Black day - Shaken and Stirred about the accident.

Also, don't miss Jule's newly posted entry about the start of the tour Brussels to New York

Mike and Alarm 2001 landed in America on the dawn of the East Coast US
Second Generation Tour to a great response from the East Coast audiences.
Two shows in and disaster struck when Alarm 2001 Sound Engineer and Tour
Manager, Mike Jones was involved in a bad road traffic accident in between
the hotel and venue. Despite being found hanging upside down in a ditch,
Mike Jones was pulled out of the tourbus through the windscreen, relatively
unscathed apart from shock. The tourbus was a complete write-off. Back at
the venue in Randolph, New Jersey, Mike Peters, James Stevenson, Richard
Llewellyn and Steve Grantley pulled off a very brave performance under the
circumstances. An MPO spokesperson informed www.thealarm.com 'The band and crew are naturally very shaken but the team spirit is very strong and they
will pull through. We are just all very thankful that there was no serious
injury.' The Alarm 2001 Tour will continue as planned.

It's been the blackest day today. After 2 great shows in Maryland and Rhode Island, we set off south towards the Garden State, New Jersey. As normally happens, whilst myself and the crew set up at the venue, Mike Jones, Sound Engineer and TM takes the band back to the hotel for a short break between soundcheck and show. Mike P more often than not remains at the venue and spends valuable time in the dressing room alone working on new songs.

Tonight, Mike P returned to the hotel and it wasn't until much later that I sensed something was wrong. Mike Jones never returned from the hotel. On the way back he was involved in a road traffic accident which involved writing off the tourbus and bringing Randolph New Jersey emergency services out in force. Thankfully, Mike Jones, despite being found hanging upside down in the tourbus in a ditch, was pulled out through the windscreen unscathed.

Mike's name on his passport is Richard and so despite phone calls to the venue and our hotel from the local police, all knowledge of 'Richard' was denied and so poor Mike J was stranded in hospital alone. By midnight, we
had arranged for the band to be transported to the concert venue (unbeknownst to me this involved Mike travelling in the back of an open pick up truck in the rain as the concert promoter thought that the band
were already in the venue!) and so Mike and the guys performed a valiant show with heavy hearts, unsure of Mike J's exact condition. It was the toughest and blackest of nights.

Eventually we were reunited with Mike J back at the hotel amidst many tears and shock. Two hours sleep before the hard reality began of finding a tour bus replacement and dealing with the police and insurance company. Mike P as ever rallies to the cause and we all pull together to make the best of the situation. It's the worst feeling being away from home when something like this happens and my previous fears of transporting 8 people across America were realised. We were all very lucky to have escaped injury and as the day progressed a heady relief and hysteria permeated the air.

A spanking brand new bus was found and by 4pm we were back on the road travelling onwards to our concert in West Springfield, VA. The tour family has become stronger again as you do under adversity and miraculously the blackness is fading. It just goes to show though how fragile it all is.

Take care,

Miss. Shaken and Stirred x

I'm sat at Brussels Airport. I'm wasted. I want to sleep so badly but can't relax. Mike is sleeping beside me (no trouble relaxing :) as are the rest of the North Wales crew, Mike J, Rider and Chris W. Maybe it's a man thing.
As the lone woman crew member, I'm sat here thinking a million things. Yeah,you know what I'm talking about... the way women are just ALWAYS thinking… trillions of tiny explosions of thoughts (check out Mel Gibson in What Women Want, if you don't know what I mean) whilst most men I know can quite happily switch off or maybe just think of one thing, say Man Utd.

So... Mike's busy relaxing or dreaming of Man u whilst I'm trawling through the tour ahead in my mind - all 8000 miles of it. God, I'm tired already. According to Mapquest, it's 172 hours of driving. Mapquest is this great new tool
which we have introduced to the website. Check it out as it gives very precise directions to all venues. We're about to be joined by Big Jim, Steveie G, the Carbo King and Dirk Diggler o k a Alarm 2001 or whatever it is you like
to refer to Mike and his current Alarming line-up. The Southern contingency are joining us from Heathrow whereas we, the Mighty North Walians flew in from Manchester.

Mike is still buzzing after the Dead Men Walking Tour. The concerts were definitely a success with Kirk, Pete and Glen eager to reconvene later in the year. I popped across to Leeds Irish Centre and was in fits listening to
Wylie's banter. The four personalities blended extremely well and offered much light and shade upon an evening of entertainment and recollection. I had already experienced Wylie's wit firsthand after Mike's Widnes concert. We finished the show at Wylie's Disgracelands Home and what a night it was. Wylie is one top guy and for those who don't know is the 'Pete' of Spirit of
76....

I feel like opening up the 'Sharpening Club' already. All
here on my lonesome. In fact the only part of Mike I seem to see these days are his eyelids or his rear back as he heads off down that long and winding road. You lot see more of him than I do! When I do see him he's either
sleeping or recording dedications.... ummm.... I better hadn't sample the Belgian brew as I'm already a tad fragile after last night's foolish 2 hour bender in my local. A one pint pre-tour relaxer turned into a 4 pint '2 sheets to the
wind' lock-in session. Talk about one way of preparing for the tour! No, the Sharpening Club definitely begins on the plane when cofounder Big Jim arrives. ..

So where was I? Oh yeah having a trillion thoughts about the tour ahead. Putting together a tour is SOOO stressful. Making sure you have booked the flights correctly, covered the visas, booked the hotels, checked the directions to each gig, communicated with each gig, liased with the PR company, prepared the merchandise, booked the tourbus.... and on. It's also the
responsibility of transporting 8 people across America.

I haven't slept much in the last few months. It's been a whirlwind trip from the Gathering to here. No respite after the Gathering as we launched straight into the German Tour which proved to be very successful. The
Gathering takes it out of all of us here at MPO. It's a 12 month build up and the weekend is very emotional for all of us. Trying to make sure that Mike's most ardent fans are satisfied year after year is a tall order. This
year, I celebrated my relief long into the early hours at the St. George with the band, video crew (top!) and special guest and legendary Sharpening Club Member, Craig Adams. The Football Tournament on Sunday morning is
torturous. A hour's sleep at best and then the final hurdle - thank God for co-producer, Danny Cohen!

The German tour surprised us all with the strength of support from the German fans. I unfortunately was unable to go due to the increasingly busy nature of MPO. I missed the gang badly but also enjoyed having chance to
regroup and recover back in Wales. The guys did sort me out with a few crates of German fizzy booze on their return which was gratefully received.

From Germany, we were thrown into the preparation for the live custom Second Generation CD's. A lot of work went into the creation of these CD's, from the endless hours mixing each concert (Mikey Jones, our sound engineer's love, dedication and patience shines through) down to the artwork which was meticulously prepared by MLP.

Then Mike was packing his bags and leaving on a jetplane yet again, this time for Los Angeles, Austin and finally New Orleans. Mike spent a couple of days with Sharpie, hanging out at the Kerry Bar, following on from Mike's
solo performance at SXSW and spending time with Billy D. Nothing much to report from the Sharpie/Peters get together other than the fact that they had fun, shared a few sharpeners and played a few Hank Williams tunes

Anyway we're almost there and despite the exhaustion, it feels exciting and very buzzy as we prepare for the next part of the journey, Brussels to New York. I have been to NYC so many times but I never take it for granted. I
hate leaving Wales, absolutely hate it with a passion but I never lose sight of the fact that I am lucky to visit all these wonderful places. After 15 years of being on the road, it's important to appreciate each gig, each fan,
each song, each roadtrip, each truckstop... We are living the dream in a way and it's so easy to become blase. You see other bands taking it all for granted, treating the fans like shit and it always saddens me.. Never take
the fans for granted. Give them that extra bit of time (especially if they're Male American Italian :) J

Boarding the plane with your mates is a pretty special experience. It felt great to be reacquainted with Big Jim, Steveie Grantley and Dirk Llewellyn (they almost missed the connection). Big Jim and I shared a hilarious
conversation… James: Jules... don't you think the route is a little crazy for this
tour?...
Jules: James - it's a tour - that's what you do...
James: Yeah but Chicago's an awfully long way - do you think it's worth it?'
Jules: 'Well, that's what we do... we drive long distances.. that's why we
call it a tour...'
After much ridiculous conversation about cancelling everything from
Jacksonville to Niagra Falls, we finally crashed out after a couple of
sharpeners and slept all the way across the Atlantic.

After a thorough search at customs (not a pleasurable experience), we were all reunited on the other side with a ridiculous mountain of luggage. 5 hours ahead and so we were truly Dead Men Walking. I wanted my bed SO
BADLY! We finally made it, crashing out at the hotel at JFK airport. I had my usual secret fit of 'I hate touring and want to go home' and Mike being the sweetheart that he is totally humoured me as he knows better than anyone
that I will be loving life on the road in approximately 48 hours. Until then beginnings of tours for me are absolute torture. I miss Wales, the family, the office and most of all that view. The view of Wales from our window is
part of Mike and I. It's difficult to explain but we are both happiest when we are at home with our view....

...What a contrast. This morning I found myself in the heart of Manhattan as Mike had a VH1 interview at the MTV Studios on Broadway. This gave us the chance to meet up with our dear friend and MTV producer, Alex Coletti. I love NY! It is such a hip city!!! (Predictable, 'I love touring' mantra coming up already:)) In the last few
years, NYC has become a home from home for Mike and I. We have spent so much time here in the last 10 years building up Mike's solo career and have many friends living in Manhattan who are very hospitable. It was a quick visit today though as we had to travel on to our first gig of the tour in Towson, Maryland and this is where I find myself. Strength is blasting out in the background and I've met some wonderful American people already at the
MPO Desk. I'm still terribly homesick but something is beginning to stir, looking forward to the tour ahead. Big Jim is still convinced that we should blow out Chicago and now Rhode Island but we'll be seeing you there, I
promise. Until next time, I bid you Nos Da.....

Miss Jules News x

http://www.billboard.com/daily/2001/0320_10.asp

Billboard Bits: B.E.A.M., Sizzlin' Country, Carrack
Matthew Sweet will join Smithereens frontman Pat DiNizio as co-chairman of Jim Beam's B.E.A.M. advisory board, a program which awards a total of $100,000 in grant money to up-and-coming artists three times a year. Troy Gentry, of country act Montgomery Gentry, and Mike Peters, former lead singer of the Alarm, are also members of the B.E.A.M. board.

Now in its third year, B.E.A.M. will award a grant to both a rock and a country act, with applications available at Jim Bean's Web site. DiNizio will interview the finalists, and the grand-prize winner will be awarded a free, five-market tour -- on a Jim Beam tour bus -- as well as custom T-shirts and a $2,000 equipment budget. Previous winners include Gentry, Pollen, and Yo, Flaco!

Two great new article added today:
An Alarm 2000 Boxed-Set Review
and a great review of Dead Men Walking.

Happy Reading…

Dead Men Walking is not really a band, it is more like four for the price of
one.

The Dead Men, playing Norwich on Saturday towards the end of a six-date tour of the country, are actually Glen Matlock of The Sex Pistols, Kirk Brandon of Spear of Destiny, Mike Peters of The Alarm and Pete Wylie of The Mighty Wah.

These four fairly different musicians are all graduates of punk in their own
way and their mutual respect and admiration is clear.

The unusual format involved all four guitar-playing singers sharing the stage, taking turns to perform their own material, with varying degrees of
backing from the others.

Brandon drew a terrific response with SoD hit Never Take Me Alive, Matlock
showed the strength of his post-Pistols material with Open Mind and Wylie
took us back to the 1980s with a stirring Story of the Blues.

For me Peters was strongest, simply because he refuses to act his age,
belting out Alarm anthem 68 Guns and Neil Young cover Rockin' in the Free
World with great energy.

The music was interspersed with stories and relaxed banter from the Dead Men, who promise to continue their collaboration.

Spurred on by an enthusiastic following at this excellent club venue, the Dead Men finished with storming versions of the Pistols' Pretty Vacant, the Small Faces' All or Nothing and The Who's My Generation.

http://www.annecarlini.com/ex_cd.php

If you haven't heard of The Alarm, you've missed out on a part of music history that would normally have been very hard to get back. But, luckily for you, the Twenty First Century Recording Company have come to your rescue with this incredible nine-disc box set. The Alarm 2000 Collection is the complete recorded works of the hard-rockin' boys from Wales and even includes a special 'dedication' CD whereby original lead vocalist Mike Peters will personally record and dedicate to you the Alarm song of your choice ! Also, during the duration of the Mike Peters Alarm 2001 tour, fans who purchase the box set via the internet will be able to have their chosen Alarm song recorded and dedicated live at the concert they attend ! In this wonderful box set, the Alarm's entire catalog of albums has been re-mastered for the first time by Peters from the original master tapes and re-issued by the 21st Century Recording Company, under license from EMI Records. The Alarm 2000 Collection features previously unreleased tracks together with brand new packaging, original artwork, archive photographs and extensive sleeve notes with contributions from all the original band members. So, in short, everything from '68 Guns' and 'Where Were You Hiding When The Storm Broke ?,' to 'The Deceiver' and 'Blaze Of Glory,' on through to 'Sold Me Down The River' and 'Rockin' In The Free World' all sit proudly together in this great box set. 10/10

To order The Alarm 2000 Collection for yourself, please use one of the below methods

With a fistful of new songs and a fine tuned band, Dave Sharp, with his blazing guitars and grinding vocals, will be in New York/ New Jersey this coming weekend for 3 exclusive shows. It has been 8 years since the Alarm guitarist made an appearance in the New York City area.
Friday April 6th at the Mercury Lounge in New York City with the Hard Travler’s.
Saturday April 7th at the Stone Pony, Asbury Park N.J. appearing with an All Star Line-up.
And finally, Sunday April 8th at the Turning Point in Piermont N.Y. with the acoustic Hard Travler’s.

Dave’s touring band, the Hard Travler’s include:
Charlie McIntosh guitar/ vocals
Joe DeLorenzo bass/double bass
Bill Penn lead guitar/vocals
Bruce Tunkel Piano/Hammond organ/vocals
Si Smith drums

For tickets and information.
www.davesharp.org
www.charliemcintosh.co.uk

Dead Men Walking will be the special guests of Janice Long on her BBC Radio 2 show tonight (Thursday 29th March), chatting to Janice & playing selections from their repertoire.

The Janice Long Show runs from 12am - 3am GMT. As the Dead Men must travel to Birmingham for the show after their gig in Worcester, they are expected to arrive in the region of 1am. Set your alarm clocks.

BBC Radio 2 can be found at 88-91 FM. Listeners outside of the UK can catch the show on the internet at http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio2/listen_pop.shtml (requires Real Audio player)

Phone: 0500 288 291 (open during the show)
Fax: 0121 606 0499
Email: janice.long@bbc.co.uk

http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio2/shows/janicel_show.shtml

Dead Men Walking are:
Mike Peters
Kirk Brandon
Glen Matlock
Pete Wylie

Tonight Dead Men Walking had found their feet. A cosy quartet of rock
history, from left to right, Kirk, Glen, Mike and Pete amused, entertained
and educated the welcoming Yorkshire crowd. A particular highlight was
Peters telling the story of performing 'Where Were you Hiding' on Top of
the Pops and how he came about the idea of throwing the playing cards. On
hearing this, Pete Wylie (having been handed some playing cards from the
crowd) decided to add to the effect by throwing playing cards one by one, at
Mike during his rendition of 'Hiding'! Mike then paid homage to Pete - 'he'
of Spirit of 76 fame. Pete Wylie made a rousing speech about the
'Resistance' and how it was starting here! The night drew to a reluctant
close with a stirring acoustic version of 'Pretty Vacant'. On to Worcester
tonight at the Mars Bar and then to Radio 2 and the Janice Long show.

The Aberdeen crowd were treated to a sensational start to the Dead Men
Walking Tour. Opening with The Stand, Matlock, Wylie and Glen Matlock joined
Mike Peters and then all 4 members remained on stage to perform Burning
Sounds by the Rich Kids, West World, by Theatre of Hate, and Story of the
Blues by Wah.

The set continued with each member performing their own song. Peters chose
'A New South Wales' telling the tale of his home country whilst Wylie and
Brandon sang of their own experiences of crimimal injustice.

The set drew to a close much later with Sinful by Wah, Never Take Me Alive,
Spear of Destiny, 68 Guns by The Alarm and Pretty Vacant by Mike's all time
favourites, the Sex Pistols.

Dead Men Walking encored with the Small Faces All or Nothing

Please note that The Forum in Aberdeen has been changed to The Loft.
You can find The Loft on Justice Mill Lane just off of Union Street . Same
tel numbers apply as before.

Dead Men Walking Rehearsals have been going really well so expect a very
interesting and entertaining evening

20th Year Anniversary Concert: MIKE PETERS ALARM 2001 DAY:June 9th, 2001, Rhyl Town Hall North Wales, UK


To celebrate 20 years to the weekend of the first ever Alarm concert, MPO is proud to announce a very special concert to mark the occasion. Taking place at Rhyl Town Hall, North Wales, on Saturday, 9th June, MPO members are invited to The Alarm's hometown of Rhyl to share in the celebration of this very special day.

Seventeen movies, bus trips, songs and stories from 1981-1991, all against the backdrop of the true life living soundtrack of 'Bank Holiday Weekend', 'Don't Let Go'... Stand on Rhyl promenade and take in the mersey lights of the 'Spirit of 76', look out upon the site of the 'Pavilion Steps' and much more ...

Tickets are limited and priced £20 + £1 booking fee

2001 is already proving to be an exceptional busy year for Mike Peters. Following on from the Gathering, Mike and the band completed a successful tour of Germany. Mike then flew to America on a whistlestop tour of the USA where he spent time with Coloursound partner, Billy Duffy in LA. Mike then performed a clutch of brand new songs at the legendary SXSW Festival in Austin, Texas and finished off in New Orleans at the Kerry with his guitar hero, Dave Sharp. During the month of April, after the 'Dead Men Walking' UK Tour, Mike and the band embark on an electric assault of the east coast of America. From America to Italy and an Alarm Day in Rome, then home for the ultimate intimate Alarm concert in Rhyl. From Rhyl, back to USA and more Alarm Days around the globe. On top of this , Mike has written a brand new album. Think, 'Poppy Fields', 'Few and Far Between', 'Free Inside'...


Thanks as always for your support. We look forward to seeing you somewhere soon 'down the road'...


Love and life, MPO


MPO TEL 011 44 1745 571571 FAX 011 44 1745 571577 EMAIL mpo@alarmpo.demon.co.uk www.thealarm.com

04/04/01 Towson, MD Recher Theatre
04/05/01 West Warwick, RI The Station
04/06/01 Randolph, NJ Obsessions Nite Club
04/07/01 W. Springfield, VA Jaxx
04/09/01 Chicago, IL Elbow Room
04/10/01 Indianapolis, IN The Ritz
04/12/01 Cambridge, MA T.T.The Bears
04/13/01 Plainview, NY Vanderbilt
04/14/01 Niagra Falls, NY Evening Star Concert Hall
04/17/01 Hilton Head Island, SC Monkey Buisness
04/18/01 Norfolk, VA The Norva
04/19/01 Richmond, VA Alley Katz
04/20/01 Atlanta, GA Cotton Club
04/21/01 Nashville, TN 3rd & Lindsley
04/22/01 Columbia, MO Shattered
04/24/01 Jacksonville, Fl Jack Rabbits
04/27/01 Poughkeepsie, NY The Chance
04/28/01 Bayside, NY Voodoo Lounge

These magnificent photos just came in of Mike and Dave at The Kerry Bar in New Orleans last Sunday. See Below:

Former Alarm singer/guitarist Mike Peters will launch a brief U.S. club tour next month under the moniker Alarm 2001, as the precursor to some more extensive plans. The run will kick off April 5 in West Warwick, R.I., and close April 28 in Bayside, N.Y. As with a similar West Coast swing last year, Peters will be backed by guitarist James Stevenson (Generation X, Gene Loves Jezebel), bassist Richard Llewellyn, and drummer Steve Grantley (Stiff Little Fingers).

The tour comes in support of "The Alarm 2000 Collection," a nine-disc box set amending the band's recorded output with previously unreleased tracks, archival photographs, and extensive liner notes from all four original band members -- Peters, guitarist/vocalist David Sharp, bassist Eddie MacDonald, and drummer Nigel Twist. As a bonus, fans who order the set through the official Alarm Web site receive an acoustic version of the Alarm song of their choosing, specially recorded and dedicated by Peters.

"I've done thousands of them," Peters tells Billboard.com of the ambitious undertaking. "And I've done every single song in the Alarm catalog, now that I did 'Third Light' just the other day." Originally sung by MacDonald, "Third Light" appeared on the band's 1984 IRS debut, "Declaration."

In addition, the entire Alarm catalog was remastered by Peters from the original IRS masters and reissued in the U.K. by Twenty First Century, under license from EMI Records. Each disc features additional tracks, new liner notes, and previously unseen photographs.

There is plenty more on tap for Peters, who last weekend played a special showcase set at the annual South By Southwest music festival in Austin, Texas. Next week he'll embark on a short U.K. tour with Glenn Matlock (Sex Pistols, Rich Kids), Kirk Brandon (Spear Of Destiny, Theatre Of Hate), and Pete Wylie (Mighty Wah). Under the banner Dead Men Walking, that tour kicks off next Tuesday (March 27) in Aberdeen, Scotland, and closes April 1 in London. The six-date run will feature solo sets from each artist, followed by group performance to close each show.

In June, Peters will celebrate the 20th anniversary of the Alarm's first live performance with a series of U.S. solo acoustic concerts. The first will take place June 15 at the Coach House in San Juan Capistrano, Calif., with dates in Los Angeles, New York, and Boston to be scheduled. While he's not planning a 12-hour show of every Alarm song (as he did at a fan club show last year in North Wales), the personable and engaging performer is planning lengthy acoustic performances of Alarm songs interspersed with his tales of life in the band.

Peters is planning to return to the U.S. later in the summer for a July/August outing supporting fellow 1980s acts the Psychedelic Furs and the English Beat.

Here are Mike Peters' Alarm 2001 tour dates:

April 5: West Warwick, R.I. (the Station)
April 6: Randolph, N.J. (Obsessions)
April 7: Springfield, Va. (Jaxx)
April 9: Chicago (Elbo Room)
April 10: Indianapolis (Ritz Music Hall)
April 12: Cambridge, Mass. (T.T. The Bear's)
April 13: Plainview, N.Y. (Vanderbilt)
April 18: Norfolk, Va. (NorVa)
April 19: Richmond, Va. (Alley Katz)
April 20: Atlanta (Cotton Club)
April 24: Jacksonville, Fla. (Jack Rabbit's)
April 27: Poughkeepsie, N.Y. (the Chance)
April 28: Bayside, N.Y. (VooDoo Lounge)

En route back from Austin, Texas, Mike Peters stopped off in New Orleans to
spend time with his guitar hero, Mr. Dave Sharp. Mike joined Dave at the
infamous Kerry Bar and during Dave's first set, Mike was invited to join
Dave on stage to sing vocals on Credence Clearwater Revival's 'Run through
the Jungle', followed by a return later in the evening for a rendition of
Hank Williams songs. Photographs of this momentous occasion to follow.

Mike Peters returns to the UK for the Dead Men Walking Tour which kicks off
in Aberdeen on 27th March.

On Saturday night, Mike Peters played to a packed out Atomic Cafe in Austin,
Texas. Mike played mainly brand new songs. The setlist included:

Innocent Party
Free Inside
Few and Far Between
Festival of Light
True Life
Kaleidescope
Poppy Fields...

....Finished by a 10 song Alarm medley!

After Mike's show, Ian Astbury and Billy Duffy of The Cult (The Cult had
been performing next door) joined Mike at the Atomic Cafe. Mike was also spotted in deep conversation about 'Seventeen' and Man Utd. with Mani from Primal Scream/Roses.

Next stop... NEW ORLEANS...

To be continued…

20th Anniversary Special Concert in Alarm's hometown of Rhyl!!!!

On June 9th of this year to mark the anniversary of 20 years since the first ever Alarm concert in Prestatyn, MPO will be hosting a special event at Rhyl Town Hall.

Ticket information will be announced over the coming weeks.


But There's More...

Following on from the news of the special 20th Anniversary Rhyl concert, MPO is excited to announce that more dates will be released shortly, regarding similar events to be held through the month of June. Rumour has it that a Californian 'Alarm Day' date may be scheduled for Friday 15th June. Watch this space

Updated Alarm 2001 USA Tour Dates

04/04/01 Towson, MDRecher Theatre
04/05/01 West Warwick, RIThe Station
04/06/01 Randolph, NJ Obsessions Nite Club
04/07/01 W. Springfield, VA Jaxx
04/09/01 Chicago, IL Elbow Room
04/10/01 Indianapolis, IN The Ritz
04/12/01 Cambridge, MA T.T.The Bears
04/13/01 Plainview, NY Vanderbilt
04/17/01 Hilton Head Island, SC Monkey Buisness
04/18/01 Norfolk, VA The Norva
04/19/01 Richmond, VA Alley Katz
04/20/01 Atlanta, GA Cotton Club
04/21/01 Nashville, TN 3rd & Lindsley
04/24/01 Jacksonville, Fl Jack Rabbits
04/27/01 Poughkeepsie, NY The Chance
04/28/01Bayside, NY Voodoo Lounge

Mike Peters is taking his 2001 version of the Alarm back out on the road in April, hitting the East Coast this time around.

The Mike Peters Alarm 2001 tour kicks off April 5 in West Warwick, R.I., following a brief warm-up at the South by Southwest music festival in Austin, Texas, on March 18. The 16-date tour will wrap up in Bayside, N.Y., on April 28.

Last fall, Peters launched his newfangled Alarm lineup and hit West Coast cities in October and November (allstar, Oct. 13, 2000). As before, fans who buy the nine-CD The Alarm 2000 Collection box set, which was released on the band's Web site (www.thealarm.com) last August, will be able to have their favorite Alarm song dedicated to them at the concert they attend. The band will record the song and dedication from that night and include it on the fans' box set purchase.

Mike Peters Alarm 2001 features guitarist James Stevenson, drummer Steve Grantley, and bassist Richard Llewellyn.

Alarm tour dates:

April 5, West Warwick, R.I., The Station
April 6, Randolph, N.J., Obsessions
April 7, West Springfield, Va., Jaxx
April 9, Chicago, Elbow Room
April 10, Indianapolis, The Ritz
April 12, Cambridge, Mass., T.T. The Bears
April 13, Plainview N.Y., Vanderbilt
April 14, Albany, N.Y., The Chance
April 18, Norfolk, Va., The Norva
April 19, Richmond, Va., Alley Katz
April 20, Atlanta, Cotton Club
April 21, Nashville, TBA
April 22, New Orleans, TBA
April 24, Jacksonville, Fla., Jack Rabbits
April 27, Poughkeepsie, N.Y., The Chance
April 28, Bayside, N.Y., Voodoo Lounge

MPO is proud to announce details of Mike Peters Alarm 2001 on tour in April
in America as follows:

'Second Generation East Coast U.S.A. Tour'
Mike Peters Alarm 2001

05/04/01 West Warwick, RI The Station 401 821 2663
06/04/01 Randolph NJ Obsessions
07/04/01 W. Springfield,VA Jaxx 703 471 7612
09/04/01 Chicago, IL Elbow Room 773 549 5549
10/04/01 Indianapolis, IL The Ritz 317 549 2222
12/04/01 Cambridge, MA TT The Bears 617 492 0082
13/04/01 Plainview, NY Vanderbilt 516 694 6200
14/04/01 Albany, NY The Chance TBA
17/04/01 TBA
18/04/01 Norfolk, VA The Norva 757 622 9877
19/04/01 Richmond, VA Alley Katz 804 643 2816
20/04/01 Atlanta, GA Cotton Club 404 688 2516
21/04/01 Nashville, TN TBA
22/04/01 New Orleans, LA TBA
24/04/01 Jacksonville, FL Jack Rabbits 904 399 8839
27/04/01 Poughkeepsie, NY The Chance 317 549 2222
28/04/01 Bayside, NY Voodoo Lounge

The St Davids Day Weekend Concerts were a big success. Mike performed a
selection of new songs, 'Innocent Party' and 'Poppy Fields' together with a
unique Alarm medley to finish. Both performances were very impromptu as Mike
walked on the stage without a set list: just a bunch of songsheets,
hurriedly finished lyrics, a music stand and Mike's trusty battered Alarm
songbook.

At the Queens Hall in Widnes, a beautiful old seated venue, Mike was joined
on stage by Pete 'Spirit of 76' Wylie from Wah Heat. Together, Mike and Mr.
Wylie performed a rousing rendition of Wah classic, 'Better Scream'. After
the show, back at Disgracelands in Liverpool, Peters and Wylie partied 'til
dawn planning ahead for the 'Dead Men Walking' tour.

At the Muni Arts Centre, a delightful seated theatre situated in the heart
of Pontypridd, Mike was in exceptional voice. Once again the set read
differently. Mike opened with a brand new song, 'Innocent Party', followed
by an acoustic rendition of Coloursound's 'Alive'.

Mike Jones, MPO's trusty sound engineer was in much demand over the weekend,
not only in praise of his recent mixing of the live Alarm 2000 Custom CD
Collection (Liverpool and Cardiff double CD's both sold out over the
weekend) but also in pursuit of recordings of the St. David's Day Concerts,
such was the quality of the sound and Mike's performance. Please keep in
touch with MPO to find out which concerts will be made available in the
future.

Please note that due to the Foot and Mouth epidemic hitting the UK that the
BBC's lunchtime plans for the Mike Peters and the Morriston Male Voice Choir
on Saturday 3rd March have been postponed in conjunction with the
cancellation of the Wales V Ireland Rugbu International. Please rest assured
that Mike Peters' very special St David's Day performance at the Muni Arts
Hall in Pontypridd just outside Cardiff will go ahead as planned.

Please note that due to the Foot and Mouth epidemic hitting the UK that the
BBC's lunchtime plans for the Mike Peters and the Morriston Male Voice Choir
on Saturday 3rd March have been postponed in conjunction with the
cancellation of the Wales V Ireland Rugbu International. Please rest assured
that Mike Peters' very special St David's Day performance at the Muni Arts
Hall in Pontypridd just outside Cardiff will go ahead as planned.

The 1980 single "Don't Let Go" b/w "Bank Holiday Weekend" is a hot item again with record collectors around the world. A recent mod revivial in Japan I nthe UK has fueled price wars on Ebay pushing the single clase to the $200 mark. For those who do not know, Seventeen was the pre-cursor to The Alarm. Leran more about them I nthe History section.

On 17th March, Mike Peters performs at the legendary SXSW festival in Austin, Texas at the Atomic Cafe. Mike will also be taking time to hang out with Coloursound and Cult guitarist, Billy Duffy. The Cult will also be performing at SXSW.

Next weekend on Saturday 3rd March, Mike Peters will be performing for BBC Radio Wales in Cardiff at the opening of the Wales V Ireland Rugby International. Mike will be performing 3 songs solo and 2 songs, St. Davids Day and Hwylio Dros y Mor with the accompaniment of the world renowned Morriston Orpheus Male Voice Choir.

Radio Cymru Web page address is www.bbc.co.uk/cymru/radio

Please note: It is expected that Mike and the Morristons wil take the stage between 12.30 and 1pm

A major new series celebrating Welsh pop and rock is broadcast throughout St David’s Week on BBC Radio Wales. Presented by rock journalist John Rhys Harris, the series traces the influences on and by Welsh artists from the 1950s to the present day.
Rock on…


It’s 1955 and a young man in Pontypridd listens to the radio and hears some strange and exciting music from America. It’s the beginnings of rock and the young man is transfixed. He is, of course, Tom Woodward, later to become Tom Jones, whose voice and personality will reach and remain at the top of the music business for at least the next 50 years.Jones is just one of the icons of Welsh pop whose story is told in The Dragon’s Breath, a major six-part series broadcast throughout this week on Radio Wales (Monday-Saturday, February 26-March 3), marking the St David’s Week celebrations. The hour-long programmes trace the history of Welsh rock musicians of chart-worthy or critical acclaim from the Fifties to the present day. The series throws up some delicious memories and little known facts such as how Tom Jones’ “knicker habit” began, how Bonnie Tyler’s first musical earnings were £1 in a talent contest at Skewen Rugby Club, how Dafydd Iwan began by translating Donovan records into Welsh, where the phrase ‘This is My Truth Tell Me Yours’, used by the Manic Street Preachers came from and how the Stereophonics were nearly called Mabel Cable after drummer Stuart’s mum.Hear also of the time when Mike Peters and The Alarm kidnapped a New Musical Express journalist, how Nirvana’s Kurt Cobain was heavily influenced by a Cardiff band, how English language bands in Wales criticise the Welsh media for its lack of support and how the whole thing is summed up in one word - melancholy.The series has taken producer Darren Broome two years of preparation, involving 125 hours of tapes and 59 interviews which have been whittled down to six hours. “I found that all the people I interviewed seemed to know of each other, probably because we’ve had such little commercial success and definitely so little critical respect as a musical nation,” he says. “I think that’s made Welsh musicians more aware or more proud of each other’s achievements.”The series is presented by John Rhys Harris, one of Britain’s best rock journalists and broadcasters, whose family is from Pontypridd. John regularly interviews the top stars and first worked with Broome in 1998, when he did a documentary on the Stereophonics. “The first interview I did for the series was with the two Welsh members of Steps,” says Darren. “That was March 1999, and since then I have spent all the time I could between producing other programmes, talking to just about everyone I could think of in the music business in Wales.“For me it was an emotional musical odyssey talking to stars like Nicky Wire about dedicating the Manics’ breakthrough album, Everything Must Go, to the workforce of Tower Colliery, where my father works. And to hear him talk so fondly of Richey Edwards was significant to me, since Richey was the first pop interview I ever did for BBC Wales back in 1990.”The series begins with In The Beginning: Rock ‘n’Roll hits Wales which is the story of how the skiffle boom and rock and roll explosion of 1955 gave rise to the Swinging Sixties. Highlighted are the early careers of Tom Jones, John Cale from the Velvet Underground, Ricky Valance, The Bystanders, Mike Gibbins from The Iveys, Bonnie Tyler, Meic Stevens, Dave Edmunds and Mary Hopkin.The second programme, Duw It’s Hard: From We Shall Overcome to Cwm Rhondda, traces how the American folk or protest singers influenced our own Welsh singer songwriters and contemporary rock musicians, with interviews with Dafydd Iwan, Meic Stevens, Mary Hopkin, Max Boyce, Martyn Joseph, Huw Williams and Nicky Wire. Condemned to Rock and Roll: Rock Family Trees has extensive interviews and music from Budgie, John Cale, Love Sculpture, Man, Badfinger, Mike Peters, Bonnie Tyler, Tigertailz, Feeder, Richard Parfitt from the 60ft Dolls, Nicky Wire and Richey Edwards of Manic Street Preachers, and Kelly Jones and Stuart Cable of the Stereophonics.In The Decade That Taste Forgot? some memories of the Eighties are put in context with interviews and tracks from Steve Strange of Visage, Mike Peters of the Alarm, Green Gartside of Scritti Politti, Rhys Mwyn of Anrhefn and Andrea Lewis of Darling Buds.How Welsh language music paved the way for Cool Cymru is explored in Yn Yr Eisteddfod. The music explosion of 1988-93 gave rise to a new wave of confident bilingual Welsh bands set on achieving success. The programme also examines the difficult relationship between Welsh music, the Eisteddfod and the London-centric music industry.From A Sigh To A Scream: Cool Cymru and all that shows that in the past 10 years Tom Jones has come full circle, practically inventing the term musical makeover, becoming cool again. The programme looks at why Newport became “the new Seattle” and in a typically frank interview, Cerys Matthews of Catatonia tells it as it is and Nicky Wire talks of what he thinks is in the Welsh psyche that makes songs different - melancholia. For Broome, one of the highlights was meeting Tom Jones. “What you see is what you get, a man so proud of his home and his Welsh heritage,” he says. “I also enjoyed a morning at home with Stuart Cable - I’d grown up in Aberaman knowing the Stereophonics when they were Silent Running, Zephyr and Tragic Love Company. And it was a journalistic dream to get an interview with the last surviving Welsh member of Badfinger, Mike Gibbins.”The Dragon’s Breath, Monday-Friday, February 26-March 2, Radio Wales, 6pm; Saturday, March 3, Radio Wales, 6.30pm


Ways to listen to Radio Wales from all over the world:

Ways to listen are, in Wales on 657 and 882 Khz on Medium Wave band, or on a

variety of frequencies on FM between 94 and 103 depending on local

transmitter.



Most - about 50% of England can hear Radio Wales on Medium wave

particularly on the 882 Freq which is close to a BBC Radio 5 Live signal for

tuning purposes.



If you're in Europeand have sky-digital, Radio Wales is broadcast on channel

928.



And of course as will all Radio Wales stuff it's streamed on the web at

www.bbc.co.uk/wales and look out for a listen now to radio wales button or

other some such graphic to enable real-player listening. It won't be

available in MP3 or other capture modes.

Mike Peters Performs in Cardiff for BBC Wales' coverage of Wales V Ireland.

Mike Peters will make a special appearance in Cardiff to perform in the lead up to the Wales V Ireland Rugby match. Mike has been invited by the BBC to perform a selection of songs. It is rumoured that Mike may hook up with the world renowned Morriston Orpheus Male Voice Choir.

The latest addition to the bill of the Rock The City show at the Stone Pony in New Jersey is legendary New York singer/songwriter Willie Nile.
He has agreed to do the Stone Pony show with his full band and will be
co-headlining with Dave Sharp & The Barnstormers.

The last time Willie played the Stone Pony saw him joined by a number of special guests, including Rock The City's organiser Charlie MacIntosh & local star Bruce Springsteen.

CONCERTS EAST Presents:

"ROCK THE CITY" Children's Hospital Charity Show

WILLIE NILE and the WORRY DOLLS
DAVE SHARP (From The Alarm) and the BARNSTORMERS
JOE D'URSO and STONE CARAVAN
BRUCE TUNKEL and the 16oz KINGS
PAUL METSA
CHARLIE McINTOSH and the HARD TRAVLER'S
BOBBY STRANGE

TICKETS $15
WWW.TICKETMASTER.COM
TICKETMASTER:
201-507-8900
212-307-7171
609-520-8383
WWW.THESTONEPONY.COM
And At All VINTAGE VINYL Music Stores - Tel: 732-225-7717

On one day in May 2000, Mike Peters spent 12 hours giving a detailed, frank & intimate account of life in the studio, on the road & at home with The Alarm to a lucky 200 ticketholders at "Alarm 2000 Day" in Bodellwyn, North Wales.

The final installment of thealarm.com transcription of everything he said that day is now online - Raw, family tragedy, personal highs, happy times, sad times and one night in Brixton...

"The unplugged thing is something I really would have loved to have been taken part in, but other priorities got in the way, Sharpie & Twist went on and did the unplugged, but it was when I flew back to sit in the hospital with my sister."

"We finished the set, I walked off at the end of the night and there’s Neil Young stood, like there. I said to Neil “Why don’t you come up and play Rockin’ In The Free World, we’re going to do it.” He says “Alright then”. You know a few months earlier I’d got to sing with Bob Dylan, now here was my second hero, Mr Neil Young"

"I felt my role in the band was to keep everyone together & do all the cheerleader bit, but when all that happened in my personal life, my focus wasn’t there."

"And I’ll tell you what, it sounds ten times better than Mick Glossop’s version, I don’t know what we must have been thinking."

"I went in with the same verses, but I changed the song to “swansong”. All of a sudden, I don’t know, a little spark had dimmed in me somehow. All the Alarm guys were sat there, and I was looking through the glass in the control room, and I could see them all. I looked them in their eyes and sang it really hard as “swansong”. It broke my heart singing it."

"The simple fact was the enjoyment had gone out of it, not just for me, but for everybody."

"I want to dedicate today, the whole thing to Mr Dave Sharp, Mr Eddie Macdonald, Mr Nigel Twist, because without them this day wouldn’t have been possible. The stories belong to them as much to me. "

Click here to go to the full transcription

The German tour came to a fitting close tonight in the Colos-Saal with Mike and the entire German audience sharing the vocals to 'This Train is Bound for Glory'. The German promoters delivered champagne to the stage in celebration of a very special return to Germany.

Plans are already being made for Mike and Alarm 2001 to return to Germany later this year if touring committments for the rest of the world allow... Watch this space...

The "ROCK THE CITY" Children's Charity and
The Royal Manchester Children's Hospital / Manchester, England

Located just outside of Manchester City Center in Manchester England, The
Royal Manchester Children's Hospital is one of the main hospitals in the
north of England treating children under the age of 16 with all types of
injuries and illnesses. It has a number of different wards that care for
children with illnesses such a cancer, bone diseases, heart problems, and in
my daughter Sarah's case, brain and neurological difficulties.
Because the hospital is genuinely NOT a private care facility, it mainly
relies on N.H.S. funds from the Government and donations from charities to
keep its doors open.
Local organizations such as The Manchester United Football Team, Boddingtons
Brewery, and Granada Television are among the larger companies that donate
to the hospital's charity, but there are many smaller ones that are just as
important. Without these, the hospital would have to make cuts in staff, and
quality of care in the hospital would most certainly diminish.
I have set up a music charity called "ROCK THE CITY" which holds different
music events to raise funds for the hospital, as well as other children's
charities.
I started this charity 2 years ago after my daughter, Sarah, who is now 3,
was treated there, initially in the intensive care unit after contracting
the near fatal group B Streptococcal Meningitis just after birth.
As a result of the meningitis she has been left with hydrocephalus, for
which she has to be shunted (a small tube inserted in the brain that
relieves pressure on the brain). She is also left with some other
difficulties as well, but otherwise, she is a happy little girl.
So for this and all the care that she has received at the hospital, and is
still receiving, I felt I could contribute back to the hospital by
maintaining this charity.
I also plan to branch the charity out to other cities as well, including my
home state of New Jersey, and hold charity events that will benefit children
's care and education centers in those communities as well.

The first "ROCK THE CITY" show back in September at the Band On The Wall,
Manchester only goes to show that a few people can make a difference.
Thanks to Dave Sharp, Mike Peters and Kirk Brandon for there sincere effort
in making the "Rock The City" charity a success.

THIS NEXT SHOW WILL BE EVEN BIGGER AND BETTER! SO DON'T MISS IT!

The Royal Manchester Children's Hospital
Hospital Road
Pendlebury, Manchester ENGLAND M274HA
Tel: 0161-794-4696




CONCERTS EAST Presents
"ROCK THE CITY" Children's Hospital Charity Show
at the STONE PONY, Asbury Park, N.J.
Saturday April 7th 2001. 7-11:30

The Confirmed Line-up (so far)

Dave Sharp(from the ALARM)and the Barnstormers(re-united)
http://www.dave-sharp.co.uk/
Joe D'Urso and Stone Caravan http://www.jdcaravan.com/
Bruce Tunkel and The 16ozKings http://www.brucetunkel.com/
Charlie McIntosh and the Hard Travler's http://www.charliemcintosh.co.uk/
Paul Metsa http://www.paulmetsa.com/
Bobby Strange
And Some Very Special Guests!

$15 TICKETS GO ON SALE 12pm SATURDAY FEBRUARY 17th AT:
WWW.TICKETMASTER.COM
TICKETMASTER:
201-507-8900
212-307-7171
609-520-8383
WWW.THESTONEPONY.COM
And At All VINTAGE VINYL Music Stores Tel: 732-225-7717


Friday, April 6
Mercury Lounge
www.mercuryloungenyc.com
217 East Houston Street N.Y.C.
Tel: 212-260-4700
Tickets (TBA) will be available through the venue. 8PM
Dave Sharp and the Hard Travler's'
with special guest support
Joe D'Urso and Stone Caravan www.jdcaravan.com
And
Paul Metsa www.paulmetsa.com


Sunday, April 8
The Turning Point
www.turningpointcafe.com
Piermont, N.Y.
Tel: 845-359-1089
Tickets $12.50 (On Sale Now) available through the venue. 8PM
Dave Sharp and the Hard Travler's' (Acoustic Show)
with special guest support Joe D'Urso

Krefeld was such a success that the concert was moved into a larger venue. It was a high energy performance from both the band and the audience. Mike was all over the stage, thowing his guitar in the air, much to the horror of his trusty technician, the Rider of the Night. There were many Dutch people in the audience tonight and together with the German crowd they were treated to a rare rendition of 'Presence of Love'. Attention Aschaffenburg!!!

PETE WYLIE FROM THE MIGHTY WAH
KIRK BRANDON FROM SPEAR OF DESTINY AND THEATRE OF HATE
MIKE PETERS FROM THE ALARM AND COLOURSOUND
GLEN MATLOCK FROM THE PHILISTINES, THE SEX PISTOLS AND THE RICH KIDS

tuesday 27th march aberdeen forum 01224 648000

wednesday 28th march leeds irish centre 0113 2480887

thursday 29th march worcester mars bar 01905 613336

friday 30th march salisbury black pig barn 01722 501858

saturday 31st march norwich fat pauly’s 01603 441044

sunday 1st april london the ocean 020 8533 0111

Each artist will play a solo set and then all four will hit the stage at the end of the show. Running order will be drawn at each show. Call venues for ticket info and for door times, as this show will be over 3 hours long !!!

RAW, PURE AND-REAL

Cologne Conquered
Cologne was conquered tonight as Mike and the boys continued their blitz through the German tour. Today, Mike and the band spent the soundcheck at the'Underground' testing out brand new songs, including a newly penned composition, 'Destroy'. Alarm fans, old and new, together with Big Country fans have all been showing their support across the German tour and enjoying the experience of hearing Alarm songs played live again. Next, Krefeld calling....

Storming Hannover
Another stormer! Even surpassing Hamburg, Mike and the boys wowed Hannover. Highlights of the set included an acoustic version of 'The Chant' and 'Hallowed Ground'. Mike was plunged in 'dedication world' on stage as the German fans ordered their dedication CD's and boxsets on the spot!! Accompanied by his brand new Gibson 335 guitar (which Mike bought off Mick Ralph from Mott the Hoople/Bad Company) in tow, Mike dedicated song after song to his German audience, many of whom were following the whole tour around Germany. There were many Big Country fans in the audience also, converts after Mike's solo assault last year on the Big Country German tour. Next stop Cologne....

Pontypridd Phone Update

We incorrectly posted the phone number for the THE MUNI GIG IN PONTYPRIDD yesterday. The correct phone number is: 01443 485934

Date: Sun 4th March
Doors: 7pm Tickets 6
Tickets available from Venue Box Office:
Tel: 01443 485934, Fax: 01443 401832
Also from: Spillers records 02920 224905(Cardiff) and Rockaway Records (Newport).

Venue address:
The Muni Arts Centre
Gelliwastad Rd
Pontypridd
Mid Glamorgan
CF37 2DP

Travel:
A470 from Cardiff and Merthyr.
The most convenient car park for the centre is the goods yard which you can
reach via the bus station.

Pontypridd is also accessible by train and bus.

It was a welcome return for Mike Peters and his electric ensemble in Hamburg, Germany tonight, the 6th Feb. Playing to a packed out German crowd in the Logo, Mike and the boys powered through a one hour 40 minute electrifying set. Mike fell into the crowd during the best 'My Generation' to date and encored with the much loved 'Bound for Glory'... It was a long time coming but for the Germans it was definitely 'good to be back'!!!!! Rumour suggests that this concet will feature in the Second Generation live series. Watch this space.... Rock on Hannover!

'Dragon's Breath' - a radio programme chronicling the history of Welsh Pop and Rock will be broadcast Mon 26th Feb - Sat 3rd March each day at 6 - 7 pm. It's a once only chance so miss it, and it's gone.

Darren Broome, the Producer of Dragon's Breath, visited Mike Peters in North Wales at various points last year and interviewed Mike exhaustively on his role in the history of Welsh music. Tune in to this exciting and innovative radio programme to hear more. Expect some exciting snippets of Mike's musical career before, during and beyond The Alarm ....

Six one hour Episodes which make up the series are

1. The beginnings -

2. The folk tradition and how the singer songwriters have developed.

3. Rock family trees, from the 60's to present day.

4. The 80's - not as bad as people would like you to believe.

5. The uneasy relationship between Welsh Language pop and the music

industry

6. Cool Cymru or the story of the last 10 years, the rise in Welsh Rock.

Mike turns up in progs 3, 4, 5, and 6.



Ways to listen to Radio Wales from all over the world:

Ways to listen are, in Wales on 657 and 882 Khz on Medium Wave band, or on a

variety of frequencies on FM between 94 and 103 depending on local

transmitter.



Most - about 50% of England can hear Radio Wales on Medium wave

particularly on the 882 Freq which is close to a BBC Radio 5 Live signal for

tuning purposes.



If you're in Europeand have sky-digital, Radio Wales is broadcast on channel

928.



And of course as will all Radio Wales stuff it's streamed on the web at

www.bbc.co.uk/wales and look out for a listen now to radio wales button or

other some such graphic to enable real-player listening. It won't be

available in MP3 or other capture modes.

2000 has been an amazing year in the life of Mike Peters and The Alarm. The release of The Alarm 9 CD Boxset and continuing Alarm 2000-2001 Second Generation Tour has received rave reviews from both fans and media alike. The tour has had an explosive affect on people rediscovering Mike and The Alarm’s music.

The Boxset is a testament to the devotion of Mike Peters to his and The Alarm’s fans. Having scoured the globe for missing Alarm recording sessions and out-takes, Mike has compiled a rock band history that would fulfil the dreams of any fan. Whatever your favourite Alarm album, here it is remastered on CD, with a bounty of extra tracks, live recordings and demos thrown in.

Here at MPO we have just enjoyed The Gathering 9 Weekend (see review at www.mikepetersweb.com) - the annual pilgrimage of Mike Peters’ fans to North Wales. We are already preparing for G10 - and at what’s bound to be a legendary event - the 10th Anniversary Gathering - which also just happens to coincide with the 20th Anniversary of The Alarm. Sounds like a good reason for a party…

Events already on the horizon for Mike Peters in 2001 [2001, it’s hard to believe it is now twenty years since those first few ‘alarming’ chords rang out way back ‘81], include a return to the U.S. following the success of the recent West Coast Second Generation tour, dates in Germany, the release of the Millennium Gathering CD, the release of the Gathering 9 video and 21st Century’s first ever DVD, the eagerly anticipated release of The Shepherds Bush Empire Concert Film. A UK tour in 2001 with special events planned to celebrate the 20 year anniversary of The Alarm as well as.

In the meantime, Issue 14 of the official MPO fanzine includes extracts from Mike Peters’ tour diary - Dispatches From The Front, a fascinating transcript of Mike’s account of life in The Alarm from Alarm 2000 Day, reviews of the Alarm 2000 Boxset and Second Generation Tour, plus information about new the 21st century releases and next years very special Anniversary Gathering....

21st Century is proud to announce the release of The Millennium Gathering [Live] CD. A special triple live album is being released to commemorate what has gone down in history as the greatest gathering to date. The entire concert was recorded and now we are able to officially release the live tapes as a 1,000 strictly ‘limited edition’ numbered pressing. The album features 50 performances from both Friday night’s acoustic sessions and Saturday evenings electric set.

UK £29.99 US $45 inc. p&p

2nd Generation Tour Live CD Collection

During the American leg of the 2nd Generation tour Mike recorded a lot of The Alarm box set dedication CD tracks ‘live’ on stage and the MPO received many calls from fans who wanted to know if there was any chance they could somehow obtain a recording of the complete concert and so (with a slight nod to Pearl Jam....).

The entire Alarm 2000 Second Generation UK Tour has been recorded and in a new MPO initiative, is now available on CD.

Each of the ten concerts comes in special Custom CD packaging and contains two discs which capture the band in concert at each venue of the tour. Each album has been produced, recorded and mixed by ‘live’ sound engineer Mike Jones with co-producer Martin Wilding. There have been no overdubs. This is a total rock and roll audio assault, the ‘true’ sound and the fury of Mike Peters and The Alarm 2000 as you heard them ‘live’ throughout the UK in the year 2000.

UK £20.00+ £1 p&p US $30 + £5 p&p

The Gathering 10 Anniversary Weekend

11th & 12th January 2002 Weekend ticket £27 plus £1 booking fee

Next year The Gathering will celebrate it’s tenth birthday and also honour celebrations of the twenty year anniversary since the birth of The Alarm. To mark this special moment in our collective history, the MPO is calling on all fans both home and abroad, to make that special effort and come once more to Wales and celebrate 10 years of The Gathering and 20 years of the Alarm.

Since it’s inception in December 1992, The Gathering has become an essential date in the diary of every Alarm / Mike Peters’ fan. A weekend extravaganza of Mike’s and the Alarm’s entire catalogue of songs, live performances, (acoustic/electric), guest appearances, films, football comps., quizzes, parties etc. all set against the beauty of the Llandudno bay in North Wales.

Weekend ticket price £27

+ £1 p&p

Alarm 2000 Day

[The Documentary]

A new 21st Century Video is now available featuring the BBC documentary that followed Mike Peters during the making of The Alarm 2000 Collection plus interviews and concert footage from the legendary 12 hour performance at Alarm 2000 day.

Priced £14.99 +£1 p&p $25 + $5 p&p.

Mike Peters Alarm 2001 - On tour in Germany

06.02.01 - Hamburg / Logo

07.02.01 - Hannover / Faust

08.02.01 - Cologne / Underground

09.02.01 - Krefeld / Kulturfabrik

10.02.01 - Aschaffenburg / Colos-saal

After a long wait, the fifth & penultimate section of the Alarm 2000 Day transcription is now on-line.

On one day in May 2000, Mike Peters spent 12 hours giving a detailed, frank & intimate account of life in the studio, on the road & at home with The Alarm to a lucky 200 ticketholders at "Alarm 2000 Day" in Bodellwyn, North Wales.

The latest installmaent of thealarm.com transcription of everything he said that day covers the period of The Change album between 1988 & 1990, touring with Bob Dylan, the "Change Demos" at Kimmel Hall & the recording of the album itself.

Highlights include:
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
When we got to the last night of the tour, we were playing at the Greek, and I was by the swimming pool again, in LA. And Bob came up to me and said "Hey guys, would you like to come up and sing? Would you like to do Knockin On Heaven's Door". I was "Yeah, we'd love to, it would be brilliant."
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
And I got to do my photograph with Jimmy Carter and it was dead cool. I brought it home and my dad was dead proud, he put it on his mantelpiece. I think he thought it was Ronald Reagan at the time.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
I remember taking him, as you go through Rhuddlan on the way into Rhyl, there's a pub there on the right called the Kings Head and remember taking him in there for a pint…. And then the guys at the bar put Stairway to Heaven on, and they didn't have a clue who I was sat at the end of the bar with, it was brilliant.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
I was in the position as a writer that I could actually finish songs all the way through and write them, but I always used to share them with Eddie, because he’d always come in and he’d always have a nice viewpoint on it. Eddie understood how difficult it is to play somebody a brand new song for the very first time.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
A lot of the bands who are now the Catatonias & all that kind of stuff were in Welsh language bands that were supporting us on that tour. I like to think that in our own small way with that gesture as The Alarm, we did actually open up the music scene to whole new audience than it had known before.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
They were singing all these songs in Japanese, then on the encore they started playing 68 Guns…. So I jumped on and we all sang 68 Guns on the mic and I was singing with this Japanese singer right up close to me.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Click here to go to the full transcription

It has recently been announced that The BARNSTORMERS, Dave Sharp's
original recording/touring band from the 1991's Hard Traveling
Medicine Show, have agreed to re-unite after 9 years to back Dave at
the New Jersey's "ROCK THE CITY" show on April 7th 2001.

A little history on The Barnstormers:
The Barnstormers were a heated Rock-a-Billy band that was very
popular in the New York City/ East Coast areas between 1986 and 1991. They
were kinda like the Stray Cats on acid. In 1990/1991 in New York, the
Barnstormers met Dave through a mutual friend; Kelly Dougherty. They got on
great and agreed to get together again at a later date. Dave showed up at
one of their gigs in New Jersey and said, quote "I was BLOWN away". He asked
them if they would consider backing him on his solo tour and record "Hard
Travllin'. And so history was made.
Tragically, the band separated a short while after the tour. The band
members went their own ways, and until 9 years later, made contact with each
other. They have all agreed to re-unite for the Rock The City show in April

Fantastic new Alarm 2000 Boxed-Set Review from the USA. Read it here:
http://www.mikepetersweb.com/dispart.asp?id=237

Two words leap to mind when thinking about Mike Peters, the Alarm's frontman: integrity and survival. The release of The Alarm 2000 Collection, an eight CD compilation of every Alarm track ever recorded (and then some), is a testament to both the continued
relevancy of Peters' music, as well as the persistance of the band's vision. There is a little bit (well, more than a little bit) here for everyone, from an entire CD of rare tracks to resequenced versions of each album (with all relevant extra tracks included). In all there are over 80 songs that were never formally released on CD. It is refreshing to hear Unsafe Building, the song that launched their career, left as raw and tenuous as it was originally birthed.
But it is just as interesting to hear the remastered glory of Rain In the Summertime, a song most of us Americans find synonymous with the
band. Similarly the releases Declaration and Strength were two of
the most powerful and best-selling rock albums of the Eighties, and
the remastering process has only left them more vibrant and incendiary. Tracks like The Stand and Blaze of Glory have been fortified into battle for a new Millennium, sounding as wild and brash as the young men who originally crafted them. But there is
clearly not room in this review to go into detail about the breadth of the included tracks- visit ww.thealarm.com for all of those details. What we can say about the piece is that it is a reflection of the men responsible for it (Peters in particular)- it is an exquisite and exhaustive package, crafted as professionally as they come, every detail marked with the blood and sweat of Peters.

The essence of the Alarm is, and has always been- hope. Emerging at
the same time as U2, the band had many similar ideologies and was
often (overly) compared to their more famous Irish cohorts. But there was always something else about the Alarm, perhaps the innate Welshness of it all that stood out with fists clenched, eyes raised to the sky, with all the hope of a child and the persistence of a glacier. So here we are. 20 years later. And the music is still as fresh and inspiring as ever. Listen to the plea of Newtown Jericho
and tell me that would not slide seamlessly into the new U2 CD. The
emotive anthems crafted by The Alarm decades ago ring timeless into the human challenges that are very much a part of our daily lives. And to me, that is why this band survives as it does today.

Of course you will find all of the hits herein: the seminal Rain In the Summertime to Blaze of Glory; the evocative 68 Guns and Spirit of
76. But this is not a collection for those seeking hits. Track down a copy of Standards, if that's what you are looking for. Sure, all of the classic tracks have been painstaking remastered by Peters shedding new light onto Alarm chestnuts and giving once obscure tracks like Raw's Walk Forever By My Side, for instance, a new lease on life. But this is a fan's collection, a collection for those with
an obsessive streak that Peter's clearly had in compiling this release. There are complete B-sides, demos, acoustic versions, remixes and live tracks, over 150 songs in all. In addition, there
are enough liner notes to fill an entire book (with over 200 color photos to boot), and indeed the cohesiveness of the notes over the 8 CDs acts as an Alarm biography, a snapshot in time of a band who crashed into existence and have somehow managed to stay interesting and poignant, even into this era of Britney and Eminem.

In addition to the eight CDs, as if that weren't enough, Peters has also added a very unusual surprise CD. When you you mail-order the box set, you get to pick any Alarm song, and supply a dedication, and Mike will record an acoustic version of that song, introduced, specifically for you, and put it on a CD. How he manages this is
beyond me, but it tells you a little bit about the man behind this obsessively brilliant collection.

For those unaware, after the Alarm called it quits in 1991, Mike Peters continued to move forward with a solo career. After the release of his debut solo album Breathe, Peters was diagnosed with a rare form of throat cancer, the doctors told him that he would never sing again. But it was the survivor in Peters that would shine
through. He refused treatment for the lymphoma and instead went on
tour, waged a psychological battle with the disease that included every self-help book and non-traditional treatment he could muster. He toured in fatigues and, in 1996, surfaced with Feel Free, which chronicled his battle and eventual victory over the disease. Peter's most powerful solo effort, indeed a record that stands proudly next to any of his creations, was 1997's Rise, which gave us such
wonderful tracks as Ground Zero, White Noise and Rise. In early
1999, Peters completed the first Coloursound album, a marvelous
collection of energized rock tracks with The Cult's Billy Duffy on guitar. He has continued to create engaging music independent of The Alarm, but it is certainly welcome to see them back again. But what is clear in the music, and very abundantly in this new collection, is that Peters infuses everything he does with an integrity and an essence that emotes his zeal for life. And it is an infectious one
at that. It is very difficult to listen to any of these CDs and exit in a foul mood. And hey, it's cheaper than therapy....

No one will ever claim that The Alarm were the greatest band ever to
grace the airwaves, but they were a band who stuck to their vision,
and gave us hope. And in this day and age, that is something of a gift. If plans hold firm, they will be arriving on our shores in March. Stay tuned for more details and keep your eyes on
StudioMLive.com for tour announcements and a potential webcast. There is currently a Mike Peters solo set available from the site
that has generated over 6000 visitors. One can only imagine that this is but a hint of what's to come. And while you're online, make sure to hop over to www.thealarm.com and pick up a copy of this wonderful collection. It will both bring back memories and encourage new possibilities. March On!

Dave Sharp has confirmed three shows on the US East coast in April 2001, including the Rock The City Benefit show in Ashbury Park on April 7th.
For the latest information, see www.charliemcintosh.co.uk (updated daily).

Dave also plays four shows at The Kerry Irish Pub over New Orleans' Mardi Gras weekend in February, three with The Lil' Travellers & one solo show.

East Coast

Friday, April 6
Mercury Lounge, 217 East Houston Street N.Y.C.
www.mercuryloungenyc.com
Dave Sharp and the Hard Travler's with special guest support Joe D'Urso and
Stone Caravan www.jdcaravan.com

Saturday, April 7
Concerts East presents "ROCK THE CITY"
The STONE PONY, Asbury Park, N.J.
www.thestonepony.com
With
Dave Sharp (of The ALARM) and the Hard Travler's U.S.A. www.dave-sharp.co.uk
Charlie McIntosh and the Acoustic Terrorists www.charliemcintosh.co.uk
(with special guest Mindy Jostyn from John Cougar Mellencamp's band)
Joe D'Urso and Stone Caravan www.jdcaravan.com (with special guest Willie Nile) www.willienile.com
Bruce Tunkel and the Kings (legendary New Jersey band) www.brucetunkel.com
Paul Metsa www.paulmetsa.com
Bobby Strange

Sunday, April 8
The Turning Point, Piermont, N.Y.
www.turningpointcafe.com
Dave Sharp Acoustic Show
with special guest support Joe D'Urso

New Orleans, Mardi Gras

All at The Kerry Irish Pub, 331 Decatur Street, New Orleans
Thursday February 22 - Lil' Travellers
Saturday February 24 - Lil' Travellers
Sunday February 25 - Lil' Travellers
Monday February 26th - Dave Sharp

Brand new 21st century release for 2001
Limited edition numbered triple CD
'The Millennium Gathering'.
Featuring 56 tracks, including the Friday night acoustic performance, performance of the Flesh & Blood album with orchestra & the 2+1/2 hour Saturday night electric set, this package runs at almost 3 hours and 20 minutes.

Each triple CD pack is individually numbered - there will only be 1000 copies in existence.

Price £29.99 inc. p&p

Order now from MPO -
Telephone +44 (0)1745 571571
e-mail mpo@alarmpo.demon.co.uk

MPO Mastermind 2001:
The convention began at 11.00 a.m. and was soon full of excited people chatting about last night's show and meeting up with friends from previous Gatherings. There was a showing of The Alarm 2000 Day Documentary until around midday. 'Modnus Modnusson' then took to the mic and everyone settled down to the quiz. The Mastermind quiz involves teams of four answering questions of varying degrees of difficulty and has become a very popular part of The Gathering over the years. The questions as well as the answers make it very interesting, and there is always something to be learned, even for the most die-hard fan.
Eventually the competition yielded four finalists and before the captains of the winning teams took their places for the Mastermind final, Mike Peters was put on the spot by Mr. Modnusson. It was hilarious. Mike was asked questions about the old days of The Alarm and we all laughed out loud at the antics of the band, such as the night when The Alarm fell asleep in their van on the motorway after a late night party with Stiff Little Fingers in 1982, which involved a free bar.... Apparently, it took the police over three hours to wake the driver, Ian Wilson (the band's manager) who had, by then, had enough time to sober up and pass the breathaliser test.
The final questions were very difficult this year and each captain got only three answers correct. A nail biting tie-break ensued and the mastermind quiz was eventually won by Graeme Aitken from Glasgow in Scotland whom Mike presented with the winning trophy.
Everyone then went outside onto the beach for The Gathering photo call with the local print media, and everyone who wanted got to take pictures with Mike and chat. It was now almost 2-30 and Mike went back inside the Centre for soundcheck, and we all went back to our hotels to have a rest and get ourselves psyched up for the Saturday evening electric performance.


Saturday Night:
Saturday night's show was opened by local band Xell, who Mike has been helping out over the past year. The three brothers played a short but powerful set featuring their own material and a couple of cover versions that defied their ages (just 18, 15 & 12 years old), with young Lewis simultaneously staking his claim to both Mike Peters & Steve Grantly's crowns with great performances both in front & behind the drum kit.

The Gathering 9 Saturday evening performance from Mike Peters and The Alarm 2001 lasted a staggering 2 hours and 55 minutes and contained 36 songs. The set began at 9.00 p.m. with 'Shout To the Devil' quickly followed by 'For Freedom' and 'Marching On' which immediately evoked memories of the very earliest Alarm shows from around 1982 to '83. The band even came on to the 'Light Of Experience' by Gheorghe Zamfir which was also the intro tape to those early Alarm shows. For the fourth song, Mike strapped on his electric Gibson Les Paul and stabbed out the power chords to 'Ground Zero', it was great to see and hear songs from all eras of Mike's career being greeted with such enthusiasm from the audience. The song crashed to a close and an unprompted extended singalong of the 'death disco' line broke out, chanting from left to right across the hall.

Mike was back on acoustic and harmonica for 'Feel Free' and then we were treated to a four song barrage -'Deeside', 'Majority', 'The Wasting Land' and 'Poetic Justice' which this time prompted a mass outbreak of movement in the crowd. Then came 'Rise' with the whole of the Gathering joining in on the 'come together' chorus. 'The Deceiver' sequed into 'The Stand' and if the show had ended here I don't think anyone would have complained.

'High On The Hill' came next and this was probably the highlight of the early part of the show. Mike's vocals soared, James Stevenson's guitar blitzed the band into the chorus and when the solo hit - well it was as if the ghost of Mick Ronson (James's hero) had descended from Heaven to play alongside him. Mike asked for a round of applause for James and well it just oozed respect. James then swapped his Gibson Les Paul Gold Top for a Fender Electric 12 string and arpeggioed the intro to 'Breathe', by now people were on each others shoulders and the temperature was soaring. Mike announced that it was twenty years ago since the release of 'Unsafe Building' and then he and the band played what is probably the best version of the song I have ever heard.

Mike and James both played electric guitars and (maybe the fact that they have both worked with Billy Duffy from The Cult), the song sounded more like something that Coloursound would play, it was incredible. Then came 'Knife Edge', 'White Noise' and 'Burnout Syndrome' all of which sounded the same but different if you know what I mean. It's the first time I have seen Mike playing this much electric guitar since Coloursound and I hope he continues to do so, the songs definitely rocked a lot harder and a mosh pit began to form at the front with people being passed to the front and over the barrier. The first half of the set closed with James Stevenson's extended soloing on 'Burnout' and MP sreaming 'fading out' over the top of a wall of feedback. MP was then on top of the drum riser in front of Steve Grantley's drum soloing and as he leapt into the air the band smashed into the final chord.

Mike then introduced us to pianist Steve Allan Jones who had toured with The Alarm as keyboard player in 1990. The whole tone of the show changed for the next three songs as Mike crooned his way through 'A New South Wales', 'Walk Forever' and John Lennon's 'Imagine'. 'One Step Closer To Home' began the second half with the band coming back on half way through. Mike sang the lyrics the wrong way round on 'In Circles' and followed this with 'Sold Me Down the River', which was played almost twice as fast as the Alarm ever did, and is a much better song for the change of pace. Tonight instead of Mike starting it with acoustic it was introduced by James who made the riff sound, dare I say it more like The Cult.

'Strength' saw MP with his arms held high over his head with the back lighting recreating the 'Strength' tour of 1985 but any comparisons to '85 ended there as the band performed a brilliant total electric assault on the music, Mike's voice was in top form tonight and he sang the song with so much passion, it was as if he had written it only yesterday. 'Rain In The Summertime' with the whole of the front rows receiving a cooling shower from MP during the 'Do you wanna feel the rain?' section. '21st Century' then pulsed into life and mass singing came back from the crowd who might still be singing now if Richard Llewellyn hadn't pumped up the bass intro to 'Regeneration'. Question: Who does the best 1-2-3-4 in rock'n'roll? After The Gathering 9 my money is on MP. The way he belts out the count in to the fast sections of 'Regen' just has to be seen to be believed.

'Where Were You Hiding' was another song which we haven't heard at the tail end of a show for ages and it sounded great with the two 'electric' guitar attack. A million playing cards flew into the air and then came 'Sixty Eight Guns' with Mike, James and Richard darting about the stage in the strobe lights and Steve Grantley thrashing the drum kit into submission. A 'tommy gun' ending and it's good night from Mike and the band.

While the band were having a breather, we were treated to a football style chant of 'Blaze Of Glory' from the fans which was so good I'm tempted to include it as a song in this review, Mike led the band back on stage and launched into 'Spirit Of '76'. Mike asked the assembled to "raise their hands for the spirit of '76" and if their was anyone of the 1500 in the hall who kept their hands down I couldn't see them. 'Spirit' was followed by 'Rescue Me' and again, if you weren't singing along, you were pogoing, being carried over the barrier or climbing onto someone's shoulders. The band left the stage and came back with special guest Craig 'Rufus Stone' Adams from The Mission and treated us to rock-a-billy versions of 'Gone Elvis' and 'Bound For Glory'. Mike then thanked everyone for coming to The Gathering before leading us into a closing 'Blaze Of Glory', and when I say us I mean exactly that. By now Mike had made us all feel like we were all part of the band, which is what makes The Gathering so special year after year. The band stayed on the stage and Mike introduced each member of the group, they all looked like they didn't want to leave the stage. After the final bow and Mike's last words of "see you all at Gathering 10", (I think I can safely that every person who was at Gathering 9 - be they from Europe, The Americas or the Far East is going to come back to Gathering 10), Mike and the band eventually left the stage to 'Going Out In A Blaze Of Glory'. The time on my watch read 11.55.

Postscript: Hours later during the after show party at the St. George's Hotel. Mike was coerced by the D.J. into singing karaoke. For the record, he sang 'It's Not Unusual' by Tom Jones, 'Angels' by Robbie Williams, 'Wonderwall' by Oasis and 'My Way' by Frank Sinatra. Hours later again, he returned with Craig Adams and the two sang what sounded to me like a very drunken duet of 'Don't Go Breaking My Heart', the Elton John/Kike Dee number. Craig Adams as Kiki Dee and Mike Peters as Elton John - you'll only ever see that at The Gathering.
(Review by Dave Jones)

Gathering 9 Football Competition:
The Gathering 9 came to it's traditional finale on Sunday lunchtime at the John Bright Sports Centre with the annual indoor football competition. Twice previous winners The Message looked set to continue their winning ways as they progressed into the final without problem, but they didn't count on running into The Mad Vikings. The visitors from Norway (and one imported Brit) stunned the reigning champions, taking the trophy with a 5-3 victory.
After hitting his bed after 7am, Mike was up and about a few short hours later, signing autographs & then joining members of band & crew to take on the Vikings in the traditional closing challenge match and defeating the new champs.

Once again, the whole weekend was a great testimony to the passion, energy & music of Mike Peters & The Alarm. Thanks to all those who attended and contributed to a superb weekend from all at MPO.

Next year Gathering is 10 years old, and The Alarm will be 20 - we hope that all fans home & abroad will join us in Llandudno to celebrate 10 years of Gathering & 20 years since the demise of Seventeen & the birth of The Alarm.
The Gathering 10 - Anniversary Weekend - 11th & 12th January 2001.

The Gathering 9

Opening set of The Gathering 9 Weekend - a 36 song acoustic unplugged session with something for everyone. Mike began with 'Change II and proceeded to play a connoisseurs set focused on album tracks and b-sides chosen from just about every album he has ever recorded. The highlights were a superbly atmospheric 'Ravens', a welcome return of 'Refugees', a blistering 'How The Mighty Fall' and a superb crowd singalong to 'Raw' and 'Freeworld'.

Mike then burst into a set of brand new songs. 10 in a row beginning with 'The Innocent Party' and ending with 'In The Poppy Fields'. Possible stand out song was 'Free Inside', (Mike claimed the lyrics had only been written that morning), which received a standing ovation from many in the audience.

'Alive' and 'Under The Sun' from the Coloursound album paved the way for the grande finale which began with 'Fade In-Fade Out-Fade Away' during which Mike was joined one by one by the band. First by guitarist James Stevenson, then the rhythm section, drummer Steve Grantley and bass player Richard Llewellyn. The audience were now out of their seats and as the band struck the opening chords of 'Marching On' it was hard not to recall Elvis Presley's 1968 comeback TV special. 'Up For Murder' was next and the Elvis connection was completed when Mike was handed a pair of chrome 'Elvis' shades by Steve Grantley and powered the band into 'Gone Elvis' which Mike couldn't sing because he had forgotten the words, or as Mike put it "Elvis Presley has forgotten the lyrics". Once Mike was reminded of the opening line by the fans the band ripped into the song for the second time and the place went wild and if that was not enough they then did 'Bound For Glory' which had everyone clapping and singing and dancing and standing on their seats (it certainly 'looked' brilliant on the video screen). Mike finished the song stood on top of his amp and was promptly pulled into the crowd by an over enthusiastic fan, but in true rock and roll style Mike climbed back out of the crowd, up onto the amp, leapt into the air and as he landed back on his feet, the band hit the final chord.

He played 36 songs tonight and must have been on stage for almost two and a half hours. Here is a complete list of all the songs.


Change II
No Frontiers
Refugees In The Westworld
How The Mighty Fall
Tell me
Spiritual
Father To Son
The Day The Ravens Left The Tower
Unbreak The Promise
You Are To Me
Broken Silence
Permanence In Change
Elders And Folklore
Rose Beyond The Wall
Breaking Point
Second Generation
The Wind Blows Away My Words
Raw
Rockin' In The Freeworld
The Innocent Party
Trafficking
True Life
Kaleidoscope
Free Inside
Close
[ ] Happens
Days
Festival Of Light
In The Poppy Fields
Alive
Under The Sun
Fade In - Fade Out - Fade Away
Marching On
Up For Murder
Gone Elvis
This Train Is Bound For Glory

Can all people entering the legendary Gathering Football Tournament on Sunday 14th Jan please register their teams (including team captain contact) with Danny Cohen at mpo@alarmpo.demon.co.uk Teams registered so far are as follows:

1. Deeside Town
2. Fatboyz 2000
3. Mad Vikings
4. Celtic
5. Concrete United
6. The Message
7. t.b.c.
8. t.b.c.

Attention to all previous teams who have entered... The Deceivers, Shakey Athletic, Howling Wind, Four Jacks and a Sasenach.. please can you contact MPO if you still need to register your team

The Gathering Football Tournament has proved to be a highlight of the Gathering weekend. This is the place to shake off your hangover and watch Mike Peters in his shorts! The winners of the football tournament play Mike and the band in the final. It's all good fun and gives people the chance to meet Mike at first hand at the signing session which runs alongside the football tournament.

The Football Competition takes place at the John Bright Sports Centre, Ffordd Penrhyn, Llandudno. For those who need directions, please consult the map at the MPO Merchandise Desk on Friday at the Gathering or in the Reception of your hotel. The Sports Centre can be reached on 01492 860015. Kick off takes place at approx 10am. All teams need to report to the centre by 10am sharp!!!!

MPO is proud to announce that Gathering 8 will be filmed in its entirety by a five camera shoot. The cameramen will be filming both the acoustic and electric performance in full as well as the comings and goings behind the scenes and of course your good selves. Don't forget the playing cards!!!

MPO is interested in hearing from people who would like to say a few words to camera on the Saturday lunchtime at the North Wales Conference Centre. All that is required is a few words explaining what the music of Mike Peters and The Alarm means to you and why you have made the special trip to North Wales. To become an MPO soap star please email jules at mpo@alarmpo.demon.co.uk

The MPO Mastermind Quiz is now a not to be missed part of the Gathering weekend. Taking place on Saturday lunchtime between 11am and 2pm, this is your chance to have fun and test your Alarm knowledge in a friendly pub quiz environment.

This year proves to be even more entertaining with the appearance of Mike Peters who will be facing Modnus Modnussen and taking the Mastermind Chair as an extra finalist to answer 10 tricky questions.

If you would like to enter the Quiz, (teams of 4 members), please register your team with Mod our Quizmaster at mpo@alarmpo.demon.co.uk or at the MPO Desk on Friday night.

Just to remind you all attending the Gathering that the annual photo session will take place outside the North Wales Conference Centre after the MPO Quiz at approximately 1pm. This gives you the chance to have your photograph taken with Mike Peters for the local press and of course the MPO website!

Mike Peters special radio documentary Tune in on 9th and 10th Jan for a 2 part Mike Peters special on BBC Radio Merseyside (Spencer Leigh's show) 95.8 FM between 6pm and 7pm on both nights. This promises to be a very rare and insightful interview with Mike Peters

A new set of exciting MPO merchandise has been added to the MPO store. Check out the new "Alarm 2000" themed jackets, shirts and hats,

In the exciting lead up to Gathering 9, here are extracts from feedback received to MPO after Gathering 8.... See you there!

The Gathering 9 - 12/13 Jan 2001

The Gathering strikes a chord in the heart of every Alarm and Mike Peters' fan. This event in Llandudno inspires fans to travel tens, hundreds and thousands of miles to visit and share in the experience of Mike's music.
Some fans from America are applying for international passports for the very
first time to make a trip out of their home country to visit Wales, after their lives have been touched by the lyrics and sentiments of Welsh-born Peters. Mike still lives in North Wales and retains strong links with the area despite his constant touring abroad. He looks forward as much as any fan to returning to North Wales for his favourite concert of the year.

'Thanks for the best concert ever. It is the second time that I have seen you perform, and it surpasses any artist I have seen previously, and I look forward to the tour and next years Gathering.' Richard UK

'Was lucky enough to attend The Gathering at the weekend ( my first ), what a blast! 'Cheers Tony UK

'Folks, I am writing this on my plane ride home. As exhausting as the trip from the States is, the weekend is a very invigorating experience and the memories last for an awful long time. This is ultimately a testament to Mike and what he and his music stands for.' Brad, USA

'BRILLIANT, JUST ABSOLUTLY BRILLIANT, Congrats guys on another fantastic
weekend. Take Care' Pete Reeve UK

'The Gathering is over and another awesome weekend has passed. Each year I think this was the best and each succeeding year has somehow been better and this year was no exception. G8 was truly amazing and a huge thank you is due to everybody.' Thanks, Paul! Willcox UK

'I had one of the most incredible week-ends of my life! I enjoyed every last moment Good luck, and thanks again for the spectacular time! Warmest Regards,' John Buchmelter, USA

'I've never been to a Gathering before and I must say, of all the gig's I've ever dreamt of being able to play as a musician - it isn't Wembley Stadium, or Madison Square Gardens that I idolise as the "Best" gig I could everplay - but instead, I have always dreamt of a small, intimate and unpretentious event with only my best fans there - totally into what is going on. After this weekend I realise the Gathering does this for Mike and I take my hat off to him! I really believe there can be no finer accolade for a musician than successfully pulling off such an event year after year - in Mike's case this really is a credit to his own drive and determination and the dedication of his support team. We will certainly be there again for number 9 and beyond!' Allan Dawson, UK

'Congratulations to Mike and the team on another superb gathering - thoroughly enjoyed it' Bill Byrom UK

'Hello !!Thanks for G8, our first one. We loved it, especially Friday which was scintillating, powerful and moving. Saving the pennies for G9...'Karl & Anne Huggins, UK

'The Gathering 8 was awesome this year. Best wishes' Stephen Donnison from Lincolnshire

'I just want to thank you for the good organizing and the great weekend. My
brother was with me in Llandundo, we were there for the first time. I´m the biggest Alarm fan in Germany and I loved it. The aftershow party was just great, talking to Mike and taking some pictures. The highlight: To sing with Mike "Walk forever" at the piano bar at the St.Georges Hotel. Thank you for the greatest weekend of my life....See you next year at the Gathering 9'
Martin F. Germany

'G8 is over, and we're still trying to sum all the impressions up! If the show on Friday was great we're not sure we have the vocabulary to describe Saturday. It was an amazing live act. His energy, his obvious joy of performing, the crazy bunch in the mush pit..... Who could ask for more?? We
can't think of any other artist that would take such care of his fans the way Mike does, thank you!!! We are already on the list for G9' Sol & Jan-Ivar, Norway

'Just arrived back in Canada last nite, and decided to drop y'all a little note. First off, a big thanx to all in Wales for making our trip so much fun! . All the best....' Robb Clayman Canada

'We have been fortunate to have seen the best welsh bands over the past year - Manics -Stereophonics - Catatonia but Mikes Saturday night's performance would have blown them all away' Clive UK

'Thanks for such an incredible weekend in Llandudno.' Travis Tiffin, USA

Went to the gig on Friday night - just wanted to say that you were just as good as ever.First saw you live back in 1983 and the commitment and enthusiasm you had on Friday was as strong as it was back then.Thanks again for a brilliant evening - even if we did lose our voices through joining in with every word! Jane, UK

Fantastic gig at Nottingham last night. Time to replace vinyl with CD, Nick, UK

Fantastic show even though we only saw the last 40 minutes due to driver failure and having to get taxi from Blackburn to Liverpool. Well worth it anyway. We'll be back in Manchester on Sunday. John & Billy, UK

We saw Mike last night at Rock City in Nottingham. Great - that will keep us going until the Gathering!! Caroline, UK

Just wanted to thank you for a great night in liverpool sat night you played a storming set. I also thank you for my box set looking fwd to the gathering hope u have continued success if anyone deserves it you do. take care Steven UK

Just a line to say how great the gig was at Wolverhampton Wulfrun Hall. Absolutely MEGGA lads!!!!!! The songs sound just as great now as they did when I first bought them. A good atmosphere too, shared I think by everybody. What else can I say except FANTASTIC. Bev, UK

Just a short note to congratulate you on an absolutely fantastic performance at The Garage in Glasgow on 4th December. It brought back heaps of fantastic teenage memories. Best regards. A fan from the early days who is still very, very impressed. Kim UK

WHAT AN EXPERIENCE....WHAT A PERFORMANCE, THESE GUYS ARE SIMPLY LIVING GODS,IVE SEEM SOME CONCERTS,FROM QUEEN,U2,RADIOHEAD JUST TO NAME A FEW BUT THIS JUST BLEW ME AWAY,WELL DONE GUYS...ITS A PURE HONOUR TO HAVE BEEN PART OF THE EXPERIENCE Wayne

Gathering 9 takes place on 12th and 13th January 2001at the North Wales Conference Centre, Llandudno, North Wales.

The Gathering 9 is the ultimate Mike Peters and Alarm experience. A weekend New Year party celebration with a Mike Peters unplugged style concert on Friday January 12th and a full blown electric extravaganza performed by Mike Peters and The Alarm 2001 on Saturday January 13th

Due to extra demand for tickets, 100 extra Gathering tickets have been released. Please contact MPO immediately if you still wish to make your reservation. Weekend ticket price £26. There are a few Saturday night only tickets remaining priced at £13.


Please note that due to a power failure, many MPO messages were lost between the 29th of December and 1st January. Please contact the MPO again if you left a message at this time. Many apologies for any inconvenience caused.


This year people are travelling from alll over the United States, Scandinavia, Germany, Holland and all across the UK. Here at MPO, Mike and the rest of the staff look forward to welcoming you all to North Wales.


Happy New Year


From Mike Peters and all the folk at MPO